Kate Baylor holds the business card in her hand as she looks up at the building before her. Emblazoned on the side of the wall was the FAWN logo, followed by the words “Sydney Deschain Memorial Gym”. This was definitely the place. She takes a deep breath and tries to quell the butterflies in her stomach before advancing on the front door. She steps through the doors and walks up to the front desk, where the receptionist greets her.
“Good morning, miss! How may I help you?”
“Yes, good morning…” Kate begins, holding up the business card Bethany Christian had given to her yesterday, “Bethany Christian told me to be here at ten...I know I’m a little early, but…”
“Oh, yes!” the perky blonde nods, “Miss Christian told me you’d be coming!” she gestures to the double doors off to Kate’s left, “Through those doors, miss! They’re waiting for you.”
Kate nods and begins to thank the girl before her words finally penetrate and she stops and blinks, “They?” the receptionist nods, leading to a deep breath from Kate, “Well, thanks.” she says pleasantly before making her way through the double doors. Said doors lead to a sprawling boxing-style gym with heavy bags, speed bags, weights, and a ring at the far end. Behind the ring, Kate can see rows of bleachers, upon which are several figures, whom she assumes will be her audience. Another deep breath to steady herself before she makes her way over to the bleachers.
“Ah! You’re early!” Bethany Christian greets the approaching redhead. “That’s good, punctuality is important. I hope you don’t mind that I’ve gathered a few people to witness your...well, let’s call it your “try-out”. I figured a few different perspectives would help me to make a better decision.” She then turns to the gathered people, “I also want to thank you all for coming on such short notice, particularly you, Justine.” The de facto commissioner of FAWN’s developmental territory in Bangor, Maine dipped her head in acknowledgement, having caught a red-eye flight to Orlando on Bethany’s request.
“
Oui, mon ami, n’en pense rien.” the brunette woman a couple rows above Bethany chimed in with a heavy French accent,”You are contemplating hiring a woman right off the street,
non? Edward and myself had to be here to make sure you weren’t taking leave of your senses, dear.”
Bethany gives the Aristocrat a sour look before turning back to Kate. “So, that
pleasant woman there is Anciline de Cyr, and the gentleman at her side is FAWN’s financial backer, Edward Thomas Wayne.” FAWN’s money man gives Kate a polite wave, which she reciprocates as Bethany continues introductions. “That’s Justine Adams, one of our head talent scouts and the general manager of our developmental territory in Bangor, Maine...This is Nick Castle, our head referee...And this lovely lady is the namesake of this building, retired FAWN legend and unofficial talent scout Sydney Deschain!
“I just wanna point out that naming this place the “Sydney Deschain
Memorial Gym was her idea” Sydney remarks, jerking a thumb in Bethany’s direction, “Putting a name in front of “Memorial” implies the person in question has passed on, and as you can see, I’m very much alive!”
Bethany grins and continues, unheeded, “And next to her is FAWN Rookie of the Year, Kanako Akiyama.” Each person nods or waves in greeting to the slender redhead as they’re introduced, with Kate returning the gesture to each of them.
“Not that I don’t appreciate it,” the Japanese girl speaks up, leaning on the pair of crutches at her side, “but, seeing as I’m relatively new here myself, I’m not sure why I’m here?”
“In your short time here,” Bethany explains, “you’ve earned quite a bit of respect from your peers. Well, most of them, anyway. You’re an important part of the FAWN family, Miss Akiyama, and we want to express our appreciation to you, and keep you up on things. We want you to know that out of sight isn’t out of mind for us while you’re recovering from your injury.” This explanation seems to satisfy Kanako, as she nods a couple times while Sydney pats her on the back.
“Okay,” Kate finally speaks up, “So...you told me you had someone who’d “put me through my paces,” as you put it. Is it Miss Deschain?”
Both Sydney and Bethany chuckle, “Oh, no, my dear,” Bethany answers, “although Sydney would certainly get the job done in spades. No, your opponent hasn’t arrived yet. I see you have your gear with you?” She nods to the black gym bag, slung over Kate’s shoulder. Kate nods in confirmation and the Commish in turn nods and gestures to a set of doors at the near corner. “Lockers are through those doors. Showers, too, for when you’re finished. Go ahead and get changed. Your opponent should be here by the time you’re back.” Kate nods and follows Bethany’s instructions, passing through the doors to the locker rooms beyond.
Several minutes later, Kate emerges from the locker rooms, dressed simply in a plain white tank top, with a black bikini top underneath and matching bottoms, with white wrestling boots that go halfway up her shins, and matching knee pads. Her crimson hair has been tied into a tight braid as well.
“Not quite the outfit I was expecting,” Bethany notes as everyone looks her over with varying degrees of approval at the curve-hugging outfit, “but I suppose it’ll do. As it turns out, your opponent arrived just as you went into the locker room.” She gestures to the ring, and Kate turns to see a statuesque brunette, stretching out in the far corner, paying no attention to goings-on outside the ring. The woman was dressed in a green spandex top, with a design Kate couldn’t discern from her vantage point, along with black short shorts, knee pads, and boots. “Kate Baylor, this is Morgan Kinloch.”
Kate nods to the Boss, and proceeds to climb into the ring. Morgan notices the newcomer as she steps through the strands and gives her a polite nod as she continues her stretches. Kate responds in kind as she settles into the corner opposite Morgan, having done her stretching before coming out.
“All right, now that both of you are here, here are the ground rules!” Bethany calls out to the grapplers, which gets their attention, both of them turning to face the bleachers. “This is meant to be a friendly workout, with a twenty minute time limit, unless one of you is pinned or taps before that. One of the reasons Nick is here is to make sure things stay friendly, and to count pins and all of that sort of thing. He won’t be in the ring with you two, but I expect you both to follow his instructions when he gives them. Are we clear?” Both women nod affirmatively, “Good. I’d shake hands now, if I were you. Friendly, this may be, but I know full well how heated these things can get.”
Both women meet in the center and grasp each other’s hands. “So, you’re the mystery girl, eh?” Morgan says pleasantly, her Irish accent thick as she gives a firm grip and a shake.
“”Mystery girl’?” Kate blinks, “Then, Miss Christian told you about my...situation?”
Morgan nods, “She did. Real shame, that. I hope we can help you out - IF you make the cut! Hope you’re ready, girl! I ain’t gonna take it easy on ya!” she smiles good-naturedly.
“Thank you, and I understand..I’m gonna give it my all, too!” Both women release their grips and retreat to their respective corners.
“Mister Wayne, if you would start the clock, please?” Bethany asks. Edward pulls out his phone, and after punching a few buttons, he holds it up to show the timer has started. “Alright, begin!” she shouts, prompting the two women to shoot out of their corners and circle each other, arms raised in a grappler’s stance. They simultaneously lunge at each other and collide in a collar and elbow tie-up. They push and pull against each other, grunting as they work to gain an advantage. Back and forth they go across the ring, until the bigger girl backs Kate into the corner. After a brief struggle to untangle themselves, Morgan puts her hands up and backs away, giving Kate a tap on the chest.
“That footwork ye’ve got there…” Morgan commented as Kate eyed her sparring partner, tentatively coming out of the corner to join her back in the center of the ring, “,,,ye
must be a trained wrestler, girlie...You don’t just come off the street havin’ footwork like that without the proper training!” Kate nods and shakes Morgan’s offered hand and the two of them begin the dance again. Morgan’s experience pays off this time, though, as she dips into Kate’s lunge and flips the redhead head over heels with a textbook armdrag. Kate grumbles in frustration as she scrambles to her feet and charges in, only to find herself flying once more, caught in another armdrag. RInse and repeat, though the third time is not the charm for the amnesiac grappler, as this time, Morgan meets her with a stiff clothesline across the clavicle that puts Kate flat on her back. “Now, then,” Morgan says as she looms over Kate ominously, “ye’ve shown to my satisfaction, anyway, that you know what yer doing in the ring. The question now is…” She crouches down, turning Kate over onto her side, “...is if yer truly what you say you are…” She then presses a knee into the small of Kate’s back, “...or if you just dreamed up some story ta help ye jump ahead in line!” With that, she grabs Kate’s top arm and leg in each hand and, using her knee in the back as leverage, pulls back on them as hard and as far as she can giving the redhead a painful lesson in what it’s like to be trapped in a modified bow and arrow hold.
MODIFIED BOW AND ARROW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo8mqDNh4YYKate screams in pain as Morgan wrenches hard on the hold, as their audience in the bleachers all lean in, eager to see how the newcomer handles this painful hold. For her part, Kate tries rocking her body to try and scooch closer to the ropes. From what she’s learned from watching FAWN matches on tv and YouTube, she knows that Morgan has to let her go if she gets to the ropes. The ex-stuntwoman’s grip is strong, however, and while she does make a couple inches’ worth of progress, it isn’t nearly enough.
“Ah ah ah!” Morgan chides, “You ain’t going nowhere, girlie! Not until I hear a little tippity tap on the mat!” She then lets go of Kate’s arm and instead grabs her lower leg. Clambering to her feet, she steps over and sits back just above Kate’s back, legs tucked neatly into her armpits as she turns the modified bow and arrow into a punishing Boston Crab!
BOSTON CRAB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_ZRCxrVjJI&list=PL64A14F8010959483“AAAAAHHHH!!!” Kate wails in agony, “Holy crap, this hurts!!”
“Yep, that’s the point!” Morgan shoots back, “Sorry I gotta hurt ya, but hey - this is wrestling! Be grateful we’re jest rollin’...In a more competitive match, I’d be into this even deeper!” Kate was sure she didn’t like the sound of that, but that didn’t matter. She
had to get free from this; she wasn’t sure how much more she could take! She tries using her legs to push Morgan off, but again, the bigger girl was having none of it. So, instead, she was left to crawl, hoping her upper body strength was enough to make it to the ropes. Little by little, she pushed and clawed and scraped at the mat, inching closer...and closer..
Until she finally made it! No sooner had Kate gotten two fingers on the bottom strand than Morgan threw her legs down and climbed off of her, letting out a sigh of frustration as she backs off. A couple of the assembled group, namely Kanako and Nick, give some polite applause for Kate’s show of guts as the redhead turns over and looks up at the Irish grappler from a seated position as she sucks wind.
“Damn bendybacks!” Morgan mutters, “Wish I’d’a known that from the start!”
Kate looks at her curiously as she slowly rises to her feet, using the ropes to hold her upright. “Bendyback?”
“It’s a term we around here use for girls like you,” Morgan answers, “super flexible. Which means any submission hold that targets the back, though it might still hurt like hell, it ain’t gonna be as effective as it should.”
“Ladies?” Bethany calls out to them, “Are we having a chat, or are we wrestling? The clock’s ticking!” Edward nods, and holds up his phone, showing that just over four minutes have passed, and counting.
“Right, boss!” Morgan answers and turns to Kate, “You good?” Kate pushes off the ropes, nodding as she puts her hands up. “Good.” With that she wades in, pushing and bullying the smaller redhead into the nearest corner. She rears back and lights Kate’s chest up with a vicious knife-edge chop that echoes over all four walls of the gym. Kate yelps and clutches her chest, but Morgan roughly shoves her back to upright. “Hold still!” she barks before unleashing another hellacious chop that nearly takes Kate off her feet, were it not for the corner. “You’re tough, girl.” the former action star says approvingly, “Double tough, even! But tough ain’t enough to get the job done around here!” With that, she sends the ingenue across the ring, Irish whipping her into the opposite corner. Morgan’s a couple steps behind her, running at her and turning at the last minute to nail Kate with a running back splash in the corner. Kate yells out as her back hits the turnbuckles, then groans a moment later as her sparring partner crashes into her at a high rate of speed. Morgan moves out of the way, letting the redhead simply tumble to the mat. “You gotta be
good, and I ain’t seen any signs of that yet! You better show me something quick, girl, or I’ll finish ya off here and now!”
“Ouch!” Kanako winces at the impact before turning to Bethany, “She...looks like she might be done. Should we think about stopping this, before she gets hurt?”
“We’re stopping nothing!” Bethany is quick to reply, coldly, “This is what Miss Baylor wanted. It’s not our problem if she’s in over her head.” Everyone else nods in agreement, which seems to mollify the Japanese girl, as she resumes watching the match.
Morgan picks Kate up by the hair and pushes her against the ropes. Taking her arm, she Irish whips her again, only for Kate to duck the ensuing clothesline. She leaps to the second rope, using it as a springboard to launch herself at Morgan with a high cross body. The women sprawl out on the mat, with Kate on top, hooking the near leg, leading Nick to slap the mat from outside.
ONE!
Morgan kicks out with authority at one and a half! This time it’s Kate who drags Morgan to her feet by her long auburn locks and sends her dashing across the ring with an Irish whip. Like Kate had just done before, Morgan manages to duck Kate’s attempted clothesline. However, on the rebound, Kate catches her flush in the chest with a follow up reverse thrust kick that sends the Irish girl flying backwards. Kate gives her no time to recover, though, running to the opposite end of the ring to give herself momentum. On the rebound, just as Morgan is lifting her head off the mat, Kate levels her again with a sliding elbow strike and goes for another cover.
ONE!
TWO!!
Morgan again kicks out solidly, though not as quickly this time. Kate scrambles to her feet and, grabbing one of Morgan’s ankles, drags her to the center of the ring. “Alright, then,” she says through gasping breaths, “let’s see just how bendy
your back is!” With that, she mimics a hold Morgan put her in, picking up both legs and turning the bigger girl over, after a bit of a struggle that’s quelled by a pair of kicks to Morgan’s back. Her version of a Boston Crab is a little more extreme, though, with her knee on the back of Morgan’s neck and pulling her body back until it’s almost vertical, a variation that some fans might recognize as a Liontamer.
LIONTAMER:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiclGfCnhUQMorgan wails and thrashes as her body is bent in ways it was never meant to. “From the sound of it, not very!” Kate taunts her as she maintains the hold, ignoring Morgan’s cries of agony, much as Morgan had done the same to her. “Have I showed you something yet?!” she barks at her, having seemingly had enough of Morgan’s albeit gentle verbal abuse.
“AAAARRRRGH!! Feckin’ bitch!!” Morgan answers, her Irish accent becoming more pronounced, as she unsuccessfully tries to twist free. “I’m gonna make yeh pay for this!!”
“Hey, now!” Kate admonished her opponent with a tinge of hurt in her voice, “I didn’t go calling you names or threatening you when you had
me in those hellish holds, now did I?!” She repays that unkindness by pulling back on the hold a little harder, wrenching another agonized scream from the veteran grappler. Seeing that her attempts at slapping and pushing at Kate’s legs was accomplishing nothing, Morgan decides to try a different tack, before she’s forced to tap. In her desperation, she reaches for the back of her opponent’s knee. Feeling around back there, she searches for the sensitive nerve cluster back there. Once she finds it, her hand curls into a claw, and she clamps down on it. The reaction is immediate, just as Morgan had hoped. Kate yells out in shocked pain, dropping Morgan’s body and stumbling forward. She actually loses her balance in the middle of that and falls, face first, into the middle rope. Her head snaps back alarmingly, and she crumples into a heap just beside the bottom strand. Reflexively, out of her sense of honor, Kanako begins to rise from her seat to see if she can help her, only to feel a hand at her back, keeping her in place.
“Calm down, Kanako,” Sydney says simply, while Morgan lies in the ring, using the time she just bought for herself to recover from the painful hold, “I get it, but this is their fight. If Kate’s knocked out, this’ll be over soon enough. I know Morgan well enough to tell you she’s not the type that’d take liberties with an opponent that’s out. Besides,” she points to Castle, who had made his way over to her to check on her as soon as the mishap had occurred, “Nick’s on it.”
“I know it’s your way to want to help others, Miss Akiyama,” Bethany adds, “but just a piece of advice for when you return, you might want to rein that tendency in. It’s something the less scrupulous among us can exploit. You can only stick your neck out for others so many times before someone finally lops your head off.” Kanako nods to Bethany in acknowledgement before turning her attention back to the ring.
“Come on, Kate!” Nick calls to her as she checks on her, checking her eyes and lifting her arm up. When it drops, he adds, “If you don’t show some sign of life, I’m calling this off!” Whether Nick’s words provided the necessary motivation or not, Kate almost immediately stirs and looks over at the referee.
“Nnngh!” Kate struggles to a kneeling position, “I’m alright…” she begins, shaking out the cobwebs and waving Nick off, “I just...need a minute.” Fortunately for her, so did Morgan. Bethany had been helpful enough to have Edward pause the timer for their “workout”, holding it at 12:21 until they were ready to resume. After about a minute of each woman tending to themselves, they rise to their feet and stride towards one another, meeting in the middle of the ring.
“You okay, girl?” Morgan inquires, with genuine concern in her voice.
“Yeah,” she nods, adding with a snarl, “no thanks to you!”
“Hey,” Morgan replies with a smug smirk, “I was just tryna get you offa me. Not my fault you’re so clum - “
CRACK!Their audience looked on, eyes widening, as Kate turns Morgan’s head aside with a wicked bitchslap that echoes off the gym’s walls.
“You have done nothing but badmouth and trash talk me from the very start of this match!” Kate growled, smoldering with anger, “And I have shown you nothing but respect!”
Morgan holds her stinging cheek as she turns her head back to Kate, her expression turning deadly serious. “Girl, around here, respect is earned!” And with that, she nails her opponent with a stiff European uppercut that forces the redhead back a step. Kate is quick to reply in kind, winding up before throwing a European uppercut of her own that staggers Morgan. The two combatants go back and forth like this for another three exchanges before Morgan has finally had enough and buries a knee deep into Kate’s midsection. Kate grunts and takes an involuntary step back, but Morgan is in no mood to give her room to breathe now. Breathe being the operative word, as she continues to attack the redhead’s taut tummy with fist and boot leather. She keeps up this onslaught until Kate can back up no more, trapped in a corner.
This, however, doesn’t halt Morgan’s offensive, as she treats the amnesiac grappler to some Bangers and Mash!
BANGERS AND MASH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-DnpSs0x9c“THREE! FOUR!!” Nick’s count finally penetrates Morgan’s anger, the senior referee finally deciding that he needed to step in to make sure both women’s better angels prevailed when all is said and done.Morgan snarls and takes a step back, while Kate groans and slumps back in the corner, the turnbuckles the only things keeping her upright. The brunette Irish lass again moves in, but Kate tries to keep her at bay with a front kick. Unfortunately for her, Morgan easily catches the lethargic kick and YANKS! her forward, pulling her out and down into a kind of forced split that draws a sympathetic groan from all of the onlookers.
“Heh...Flexible, indeed…” Morgan notes while Kate screams in agony. She then follows up with a knee strike right between the eyes that rolls said eyes into the back of her victim’s head as she slumps over to her side. Morgan then pulls her by the arm away from the corner and back to the center of the ring before covering the semiconscious redhead in a lateral press.
ONE!
TWO!!
THR-NOOOO!!!
Kate spasms to life at 2.8. Perhaps a less lackadaisical pin would’ve resulted in victory for the veteran, but that’s neither here nor there. Morgan growls in frustration as she pulls Kate to her feet roughly by her hair. “I’ve had just about enough of you, girlie.” she hisses before hooking her arms around Kate’s, just above her elbows, and begins laying in a series of brutal headbutts.
ARM TRAP HEADBUTTS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QgUg2h0gbEAfter six such blows, Morgan stops her headbanging and pops her hips, lifting Kate up and over, throwing her overhead with an inverted tiger suplex.
INVERTED TIGER SUPLEX:
youtu.be/cQRPqMdDiJM?t=93Kate lands with a THUD! halfway across the ring, followed quickly by a standing splash from the former action star, this time hooking her opponent’s lg upon impact.
ONE!
TWO!!
THRE-NOOO!!!
Again, Kate manages to shoot an arm up just in the nick of time. Morgan wastes no time with histrionics, though the frustration is plain on her face. Instead, she takes a side mount and begins laying in brutally stiff forearms to the redhead’s face and chest, trying not so gently to persuade Kate to stay down. After pummelling the seemingly non-responsive woman for close to a minute, Morgan climbs off her and drags her limp body up by her crimson locks.
“Ye did yer best, missy,” she says evenly, her anger sated, “but it jest wasn’t good enough. I do hope ye’ve done enough to impress the boOOWHOA!!”
Whether Kate had been playing possum or if she’d gotten her third (maybe fourth?) wind is unclear. What is clear is that as she sprang to life, she wrapped her arms around Morgan’s head, threading Morgan’s right arm through hers. Once she was sure the hold was secure, the so-called “mystery girl” lifted the bigger girl up, leaping and driving Morgan down to the mat in a maneuver that got the wide-eyed attention of all watching. Upon impact, Kate makes the cover, not releasing the hold.
ANACONDA BUSTER:
ONE!
TWO!!
TH-NOO!!!
As soon as Morgan kicked out, Kate quickly transitioned into a tortuous submission, which Sydney and Kanako both immediately recognized as the Anaconda Vise!
ANACONDA VISE:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzOqDFL0s8wMorgan screams in agony, kicking and flailing in a panic, realizing the danger she’s in. Kate only responds by bearing down on the torturous hold even harder, pulling up on it, and jostling the bigger girl’s body back and forth, increasing the pitch and volume of Morgan’s tortured cries.
NO!! her mind screams as words fail her,
It can’t end like this!! How could I have gotten caught out like this?! In spite of her thoughts, she was very clearly reaching her breaking point, as evidenced by her right hand being held aloft, fighting against itself to not tap out on Kate’s shoulder. “NONONONONONONO!!!!” Morgan shrieks, answering a question that nobody had asked. Kate only growled with determination, maintaining her death grip on her sparring partner. Morgan’s resolve seems to be breaking as her hand inches closer to Kate’s shoulder...and closer...and closer…
“KATE! Her foot’s under to rope! Break the hold!” Nick calls to her. Kate looks down Morgan’s sculpted legs and sees that the senior referee was telling the truth. Apparently, Morgan’s panicked kicking and writhing had not been for nothing, as she had somehow managed to scoot her right leg
juuuuust underneath the bottom rope. Kate scowls, but she releases the devastating hold without any further prompting. She was not, however, about to give the Irish brunette time to recover, pulling her up to a seated position by her hair, getting a little payback for earlier hairpulls, and driving a trio of knees into the small of Morgan’s back. She then applies a reverse headlock and pulls her up to her feet, seemingly putting the dazed girl in a Dragon Sleeper. Instead, though, with a clubbing left hand to Morgan’s chest, she drops her with an inverted DDT!
INVERTED DDT:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbSBujpByeAMorgan lies, starfished and groaning, on the mat as Kate scrambles to her feet and begins ascending the nearby turnbuckle. Most of those watching hold their breaths in anticipation as Kate rises from her perch, looking down at the prone ring veteran. She licks her lips and takes a deep breath before launching herself at Morgan with a forward flip, looking to flatten her with a beautiful Swanton Bomb!
SWANTON BOMB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0XqXTF-8wgUnfortunately for her, Morgan manages to roll away from the crash zone as Kate turns herself over in midair. She therefore comes crashing down hard on the mat, forcing her to bounce and turn to the side as she yells out in pain at the impact. Morgan shakes her head, frantically trying to shake the cobwebs loose. She doesn’t want to give Kate another chance to recover, so she needs to end this NOW! She staggers to her feet, using the ropes to aid her rise. She goes over to the moaning redhead. She picks her up and sets her up in suplex position. She holds her aloft for a moment before planting Kate on her back with a Falcon Arrow!
FALCON ARROW:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghelgdI7l4kMorgan opts not to pin the semiconscious redhead, instead dragging her to her feet once more. “Ye’ve...got my respect now...Kate Baylor…” she praises her opponent through ragged breaths, showing the toll this “workout” has taken on both of them, “but this...is...over!” She then scoops Kate up into a bodyslam position before turning her to her side. Instead of slamming her down to the mat, she instead drives her down headfirst, delivering her Emerald Flowsion finisher!
EMERALD FLOWSION:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBT30qsJtt4ONE!
TWO!!
THREE!!!
Morgan immediately rolls off of Kate and lies next to her on her back, both women exhausted and gulping wind as their audience gives them a round of applause for their effort. Edward stops the timer, noting to Bethany and Aciline that a mere seven seconds was left on the clock. Eventually, Kate rolls onto her stomach, inwardly cursing herself for not being strong enough, while Morgan slowly sits up. Kate finally pushes herself onto all fours when she notices a shadow looming over her. She looks up to see Morgan standing over her, leaning over to look her in the eyes, smiling and holding out her hand. After a few tense moments of hesitation, Kate finally grasps Morgan’s hand, accepting her help to get back on her feet. The two women share a handshake, followed by a quick hug, to polite applause for the show of sportsmanship.
“Well done, ladies!” Bethany speaks up after the applause dies down. “That was the kind of match that could steal any show!” Both women, still exhausted, nod their thanks before the Boss continues, “go ahead and clean yourselves up while we all confer.” They both nod and Morgan claps Kate on the back before stepping through the strands and heading for the showers. Kate stands there for a moment, gathering herself, before following suit.
“Well...Anciline, Sydney, Miss Akiyama...” Bethany continues after the door to the locker room closes behind Kate, “...your thoughts?”
“She very clearly knows what she’s doing in the ring.” Sydney speaks up first, “And she looked damn good. Her submissions seemed a little...clumsy, I guess is the best word for it...But that could just be down to her situation.”
“I see,” Bethany nods, “Then you don’t put any stock in Miss Kinloch’s theory that Miss Baylor’s amnesia is made up for the purpose of getting her foot in the door?”
“Do you?” Sydney quickly answers, “We all say lots of things in the heat of the moment in the ring. I remember the two of us exchanging quite a few heated words the last time we danced.” the two women smirk, sharing memories of Sydney’s penultimate match in FAWN. “So, no, I don’t even think Morgan was actually serious in making that accusation, let alone that Kate is guilty of it.”
“All right. Miss Akiyama?”
“Well…” Kanako begins, all of a sudden feeling a little self-conscious, “I’d have to say her strikes are a little...not weak, per se, but...maybe subpar?”
“Listen,” Sydney is quick to reply, “just because
you’re a freaking buzzsaw doesn’t mean you should hold everyone to that standard.” she musses the Japanese girl’s hair, which had now grown back to the length it was before she voluntarily shaved it all off a little over a year ago. “I don’t know if you noticed, but those European uppercuts were rocking Morgan, and I know you’ve never been in the ring with her, but let me tell you, that girl is rock solid.”
Kanako nods, smiling, “Fair enough. I will also say that that combo she did near the end - the Anaconda Buster into the Anaconda Vise - that was freaking awesome!”
Bethany nods in agreement before turning to de Cyr, “Alright, Anciline...What say you?”
The French aristocrat shrugs, “It is as they say,
mon cherie, she acquitted herself quite admirably. Not as good as I could do, of course, but all the same...I defer to you,
Madame Bethany, and will support whatever decision you make.”
Presently, both women emerge from the locker rooms, freshly showered and dressed in their street clothes. “Ah!” Bethany smiles, “Just in time! Morgan, I would like to hear your thoughts on Miss Baylor before I make a final decision.”
“She’s damn good,” Morgan begins, while Kate hangs back behind her, watching nervously, “She seriously had me dead to rights twice. If Nick hadn’t seen my foot under the rope, I was just about to tap. And even with that, if she had hit that Swanton, I’d’a been done. I think her...issue...is more responsible for not having better ring awareness at the time than anything else. She’s also resilient as hell, which can make a huge difference when it’s go time. Sign her, and don’t waste her time sending her to developmental. She’s the real deal.” She then turns to Kate and sticks out her fist for a bump, “Been a pleasure, Kate. I’m sorry for anything I said in the heat of the moment, I hope you didn’t take them too personally.” Kate smiles and returns the fistbump, to show that all is forgiven. “Good luck, Kate. I hope we can help ye get back yer memory.” With that, she turns to leave.
“Well, that’s quite the ringing endorsement!” Bethany notes as Kate turns to face her. “I would have to say that we have a consensus, Miss Baylor. After a little fine tuning to fix a little...well, let’s call it “ring rust”...and you would very much be a positive addition to our company. Congratulations, Kate, and welcome to FAWN!” Everyone gives her a round of polite applause. “So…” Bethany continues with a smirk, “the moth finds her flame, eh?”
Kate smiles and bows her head to everybody, “Thank you. To be perfectly honest, I don’t know how I did, like, eighty percent of what I did in that ring just now. Could I make a request, Miss Christian?”
Bethany nods to the others, signalling them to disperse, “You can request whatever you like, as long as you understand that I might not accommodate you.”
“My name is Kate Baylor...But...that name holds no meaning for me. Not now,anyway.”
“I see. So you wish to use an alias in the ring? Pray tell, what would that be?”
“I have no identity. I have no idea who I am. I am nobody, so to speak. So, it makes sense to be that I...am Zero.”
Bethany nods, seeing the marketing possibilities, “A perfectly mysterious persona. We will hammer out the details when we next meet to finalize your contract.” Kate nods, smiling wide. “Once again, congratulations, and enjoy your day. I’ll be in touch.”
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you so much!” And with that, Kate slings her gym bag over her shoulder and walks away, feeling like she was walking on air. She did it! Now comes the hard part - making her way in this company, and hoping somehow that the competition therein will kick start her memories to make her whole once more.
