Post by bigfan on Apr 17, 2017 3:14:35 GMT
Far from recovered following the chaos of thr last encounter, the FAWNatics dug deep into their reserves for a resounding cheer when thelights went out with a sighed ‘Fwoosh’. The blackness was immediately pricked a thousand times over by the glow of lighters and phones, as well as the ‘tron, which flickered on as ‘Clap For the Killers’ hit the speakers.
CLAP FOR THE KILLERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=el_yvuqJtY0
Over this clamor the Announcer confirmed what everyone already knew. “Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for our Main Event. The following contest is scheduled for one fall with a thirty minute time limit and it is for the FAWN World Championship! Introducing first, she is the challenger, hailing from Tokyo Japan, she stands at one point seven meters tall and weighs in at fifty-nine point eight kilograms. She is the Dragon of Tokyo, the Joshi Kicking Machine, THIS IS… AUTUMN SAMMAIN!”
AUTUMN SAMMAIN:
Autumn stepped into view at the sound of her name and greeted the crowd with a lightning-fast array of punches, chops, elbows, knee strikes and finally kicks, all of which made dangerous little ’whicking’ sounds as they cut the air. Settling back to a zen-like stillness when the kata was finished, Sammain raised her left thumb to her throat and drew it across in a slow slash. With that the lights came up and she started toward the ring.
As unflappable as ever in spite of the task (and quite possibly reward) before her tonight, the Gaijin Extraordinaire kept mostly to the center of the aisle, though she occasionally shifted one way or the other to clap hands extended in her direction. For her first shot at the big belt in quite some time, she wore a black sports bra and matching bottoms which were all but obscured by the Joshi style ‘skirt’ that ended well above the knee. This garment was also dead black, save for several electric green slashes running from north to south. The rest of her outfit consisted of black kneepads, matching boots and fingerless green gloves that reached to just below her elbows.
Picking up her pace as she neared the foot of the ramp, Sammain ignored the steps in favor of reaching the apron in a single nimble leap. In the next instant she’d leapt to the corner and from there vaulted to a spot near the center of the squared circle. Then and only then did she raise her fist and rend the air with her war cry, a shrill, brutal sound that earned streamers from the FAWNatics from the front row to the upper deck. Leaping to a spot in the center even as the crepe continued to fly in, Autumn offered her pads and boots to Nick Castle without once taking her eyes off the stage.
With a dragon already posted up in the squared circle, the Announcer figured he might as well bring out a gangster as well. “And introducing her opponent, hailing from Bridgeport California she stands at five feet eight inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty-four pounds, she is the FAWN World Champion… VERONICA TREYMANE!”
MACHINE GUN BLUES:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf3FOEL3KjE
Grayscale seeped in through the Technicolor as the Treymane Gang greeted their heroine with a boisterous roar. Along with the muted color scheme came a frenetic touch of the modern in the form of Social Distortion’s ‘Machine Gun Blues’. It was to this melding of eras that the Neo-Noir Knockout introduced herself those witnessing this March to War. Sheathed in a half length (it ended about mid-thigh) grey trench coat and matching fedora, Veronica Treymane strode to the top of the ramp and called, “WHO NEEDS A SWORD TO SLAY A DRAGON? I’VE GOT THIS BABY!” She drew the coat aside to reveal not just the ten pounds of leather and gold strapped around her waist, but the replica Thompson’s resting against one strong, lightly-tanned thigh. In the next instant she hoisted the barking iron overhead and unleashed a fire of blazing pyro into the rafters. Setting it on her shoulder once the clip hit empty, Treymane tipped her hat to the crowd and started down the aisle.
VERONICA TREYMANE:
For her battle with arguably the most dangerous striker on the roster, the Neo-Noir Knockout wore the midnight blue ’championship edition’ of her usual boy-cut pinstripe trunks and bustier. The accompanying suspenders and belt gleamed bright white, while her pads and boots matched the blue of her trunks. Her boots remained matte black, as per usual. Eyes locked on the willowy warrior, Veronica went straight up the steps, doffed her fedora and set it on the turnbuckle before stepping between the top and middle ropes. Iron and coat came off next, both handed to Nick, who treated them with the proper reverence.
The belt came next, but rather than offer it to the official, she stepped to within feet of the challenger and held that ten pounds of leather and gold high over her head. Sammain didn’t expect duplicity from the champ, yet she only let her attention drift to the title for a moment.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed every minute of your reign, Treymane.” Autumn said quietly. “Because it ends tonight.”
Veronica noted Castle’s return and carefully set the strap on his shoulder, also without taking her eyes off the brunette. “Heard that a lot, Sammain. From girls bigger and…” she paused, a small smile creeping across her face. “Well, maybe not badder than you. Bigger though. I put them down, I’ll do the same to you. You might be a Dragon, but you’re not the World Champion.”
While a far cry from the sort of blatant chest to chest forehead grinds that marked a heated grudge match, neither champion or challenger had taken their eyes off one another during the referee’s final instructions. Hell, Nick wasn’t sure they’d even blinked. Not that he could blame them mind you. Tonight marked Autumn’s first World Title match since a controversial DQ win during the second reign of Sue Burlingame and as for Veronica, Castle damned well knew she was out to prove her validity against the one woman who could legitimately claim to have kicked her trainer into a stupor.
The Senior Official kept these thoughts to himself and when his spiel was done he glanced from one face to the other. “Any questions, ladies.” Sammain shook her head ‘no’ and Treymane did the same. Nick nodded approval. “FAWN’s never demanded a handshake before a World Title bout, but tonight it strikes me as appropriate, even necessary.” He’d expected demurral if not outright refusal considering the oceans of bad blood between Autumn and Susannah, but the Joshi Phenom surprised him by offering her hand with no hesitation whatsoever.
“You’re going to hurt tonight, Veronica.” the brunette murmured after the champion took her hand. “That’s not a threat or even a promise, but a simple statement of fact. I’m going to kick you harder than you’ve ever been kicked, I’m going to twist your body in ways it was never meant to go and when I get tired of that I’m going to drive you into the mat over and over and over again. If you can fight through all that and still walk out of this ring with the gold over your shoulder… you’ll have earned my respect. But respect or not, you ARE going to feel this match in the morning.”
“I’ve wanted this match for a very long time, Dragon. So I’ll stand here and take every bit of fire you have to offer, just for the chance to put you down with some Chicago Lightning. And if the first bolt doesn’t put you down…” Treymane cocked her free elbow and raised it so it was only inches from the challenger’s jaw. “….I’ve got a lot more ammo where that came from.”
No trace of intimidation from Sammain, just a hard smile as she broke away after a final squeeze. “Need to expand your horizons beyond noir, champ. Everyone knows bullets don’t do anything to a goddamned dragon. You ready to do this?”
Veronica raised her fists, nodded over them. “Waiting on you, DaisYNNNGHH!”
Autumn moved in like a cool breeze and THWHACKED a kick against the side of her opponent’s left thigh! The Pinstripe Powerhouse cringed but didn’t give ground, indeed she lunged for the brunette in search of a lock-up, unfortunately Autumn dipped beneath the attempt and spun around on her opponent’s six. Against anyone else (and Susan in particular) she would’ve slashed a kick across the back of a knee or possibly a straight heel to the glutes, for Veronica she reset her stance and licked another fiery stroke across her thigh, the right one this time.
Treymane winced, spun around and started to answer with a push kick, but drew it back when she realized the brunette was already out of range. “You’ve got strong legs, Veronica. Felt it when I kicked you.” Sammain was circling right, forcing the blonde to move with her in order to properly defend against the next volley. “But I’ve broken down strong targets before and your defense is--” The Neo-Noir Knockout raised her knee like she was gonna kick, then dropped it fast and lunged in even faster. She’d caught Lenore with that exact ploy during a sparring session last week, but Sammain proved the tiniest bit quicker as she threw her hips back at the last second!
More troubling, she caught the champ’s noggin in a Front Facelock and threw her feet out behind to drop both ladies down flat on their bellies. Eager to enforce her will in striking or grappling, Autumn cupped her hands under the champion’s chin, pushed to one knee and somersaulted forward to land in a flawless bridge that just so happened to wrench ‘Ronnie’s neck backward in a wicked Chancery!
LAST CHANCERY:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jna2d61Np-I
Planted on her feet and the crown of her head, Sammain relaxed her grip for a moment, then jerked up that much harder, earning a yowl in the process. “Don’t you dare reach for the ropes, Treymane.” the challenger ordered. “I came here to wrestle, not to play hide and seek.”
Point of fact, Veronica wasn’t reaching for the ropes, she’d just braced one hand against the mat to better alleviate the pressure on her neck. The other groped at the knot of Sammain’s hands, attempting to push it up off her face. No such luck, Autumn only wriggled her foe’s head from side to side before tumbling back the way she’d came. Knowing a mere Chinlock wouldn’t hold the champ for long, Sammain slid back to reapply the Face--
Veronica snatched the encroaching wrist, spun out from under the startled brunette and pinned her facedown with a Hammerlock! “Not gonna give, are you, Daisy?” Treymane teased as she tried to force the other woman’s fingers to touch the nape of her neck. “I’d be terribly disappointed to win without breaking a sweat.”
“You’ll break a lot more than that before the match is over, TreymanEERRRGGHHHH!”
The World Champ forced the Hammerlock a little higher, then shifted her footing so she could plant her right knee atop the pinioned limb. Now with both hands free, Veronica made a show of cracking her knuckles en route to filling both hands with Autumn’s hair. “Watch the hair, ‘Ronnie.” Nick admonished after the blonde yanked Sammain’s head off the mat. “You know better.”
“Lay off, Castle.” Autumn grunted. “We both knew we were gonna play rouUUURRRGGHHHHH!” Veronica ended the hair hold, unfortunately for the Gaijin Extraordinaire it was only to cup both hands under her chin and reef back in a modified Camel Clutch! “Nothing rough about this, Daisy. This is submission wrestling pure and simple. If you WANT rough, I’m happy to oblige you.”
“Do your worst, Treymane.” Autumn grimaced. “You know I’ll do minNNNNGGHHHHH!”
The Dangerous Dame halved her Chinlock, pinched Sammain’s nose between her index and middle fingers and gave it a violent twist! “I know you’re gonna hurt me, Autumn.” Treymane spoke quietly as she tried to grind down the challenger’s reserves. “I know I’m gonna be sore as hell in the morning, hell, probably for the rest of the week. But I’ll still be champion, Daisy. That’ll make all the pain worth UUUNNNNNGGHHHHHHH!”
Autumn suddenly twisted like a live wire, the notoriously bendy brunette escaping the mount and making it to one knee in a single stroke. No longer encumbered by the Hammerlock, the Joshi Phenom drilled her elbow into the champion’s stomach once, twice, three times! The Chinlock dropped away as Treymane moved to protect her midsection. It worked, but only because the challenger had already picked a new target. Filling her hands with the big blonde’s hair, Sammain rose up on one knee and BWUNKED her opponent’s forehead into the mat! Veronica ‘oooffffhed’ and started to roll to one side only to get stopped midway through when Autumn sat hard on the small of her back. “That’s where you’re wrong, Daisy.” Sammain claimed her foe’s biceps and yanked them backward so she could lace them over the sturdy planes of her thighs. “The World Title leaves the ring around my waist tonight. That’s why you’re gonna be sore for a lot more than a week.”
Knowing damned well what the brunette had in mind for her, Veronica tucked her chin against her chest in a desperate attempt to block the--THWHAP! Autumn slammed a Forearm Smash against the back of her opponent’s head. “Give it up, Veronica. Don’t make me take it by force.” The champ growled and twisted her shoulders, fighting to get free of the predicament without surrendering her chin. This didn’t sit well with the Dragon, as she grabbed a rough handful of blonde hair, thus making sure there was no way for Treymane to protect herself from the trio of stiff Forearms that pounded the back of her head. Castle was quick to object to the hair pull, not Sammain maintained it once Veronica raised her chin. Sliding her hands beneath this hard won treasure, Autumn locked her fingers in an S-Grip and jerked back hard enough to wrest a groan of pain from the trapped battler.
CAMEL CLUTCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYUWS6G66EQ
“Submit.” Sammain demanded it more on ceremony rather than any real belief in the champion’s helplessness, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.
Veronica couldn’t shake her head without a violent twinge in her neck, so she waggled a finger ‘no’. “No chance, Daisy. You’ll have to break me FEEERRRHHH!”
Autumn punished her with another savage hair pull, a classic Joshi technique that better displayed Veronica’s face for the cameras AND forced her to meet the gaze of her tormentor. “Don’t make demands you’re not ready for, Treymane.” the brunette murmured. “I’ve broken strong women before, be it physically,” she cupped both hands over Treymane’s jaw and pulled up until the American voiced an uncharacteristic whimper of anguish, “or spiritually.” Autumn ended the Chinlock, sent her hands spidering south and filled them with the defenseless Dame’s bounty. The Treymane Gang voiced immediate disapproval for this tactic, but Sammain had a great deal of supporters herself and they countered with equally lusty cheers.
Angered by the groping encroachment of the challenger, Veronica braced her palms against the underside of Autumn’s thighs and lifted up while simultaneously sliding her right knee forward. While far from the prettiest escape in her resume, it alleviated the pressure on her back somewhat and allowed her to clamber to boot leather with Sammain riding shotgun in what looked like an aggressive piggyback ride. “You’re gonna wish you’d kept it clean, Dragon.” Veronica huffed as she sighted in on the nearest corner. “If we go to the trenches, you’re going to lose. BaDNNNGGHH!”
No stranger to the trenches no matter what Treymane might think, Autumn went back to the Chinlock, albeit with only one hand. This was so she could crook her elbow and drive it into the bridge of the gorgeous gangster’s nose! Treymane’s eyes watered, her legs went weak and a single rough yank from Sammain brought her down on her tush with a makeshift Bodyscissors latched around her waist. Didn’t stay that way for long though, as Autumn helped herself to blonde biceps and pulled them back at a sharp angle. In the same instant she slid her legs up around those immobilized limbs and crossed her ankles behind the champion’s head. Hands free to do as they pleased, Autumn treated Veronica’s girls to another rude squeeze, then planted her palms against the canvas and boosted herself up by nearly a foot.
LOTUS LOCK @ 1:22
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ol3_YW6zrw
“Nnnnnngggghhhhhhhhhhh!” Treymane couldn’t contain another frustrated moan as Autumn used the steel in her stems to torture the blonde’s shoulders and neck.
“We can fight wherever and however you want, sweetie.” Sammain offered. “Just as long as you’re putting that big gold belt on the line.”
“You’re not gonna take it without a war.” Treymane knew she shouldn’t waste breath on an answer, but she couldn’t bear to let the brunette tee off on her unopposed.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Sammain rocked her hips once, twice, thrice, then thrust forward to such an extent that Treymane was almost looking at the canvas between her splayed legs. “I’ve never wanted anything handed to me, Treymane. That’s why I’m stretching you as hard as I am. Because I WANT a war. And I want that World Championship.”
Veronica didn’t reply with words, rather she slammed her heels against the canvas and draaaaaaaagged both women a little closer to the ropes. Another slide, this time with her feet fully planted, generated quite a bit more distance than the first. After a third, Autumn grunted and shook her head, clearly disappointed. “Might as well tap out now if all you’re going to do is crawl for safety.” Treymane didn’t stop, the bottom rope was less than eighteen inches from her questing heel.
“Thought you didn’t want to win the easy way, DaisNOOOO GODDAMMIT!” Not quite finished with this demonstration of her mat wrestling dominance, the Gaijin Extraordinaire broke the Lotus Lock but filled her hands with the champ’s golden locks. On her feet in an instant, Sammain draaaaaaaagged her struggling opponent back to the middle of the squared circle and dropped to a seat on her six. Still in possession of her opponent’s hair, Autumn yanked ‘Ronnie’s hair back and slid her legs around the champ’s neck neat as you please. Crooking her left leg under Treymane’s jaw, Autumn tucked that shin in under her right knee and sent a colossal pulse through her thighs.
Veronica gaped, then clenched her teeth, the struggling Dame refusing to voice any more agony for the domineering Dragon. Just as she’d done for the Lotus, Autumn lifted her butt off the mat, thus adding that much more pressure to her victim’s neck. After several seconds of hard squeezing from her and flailed kicking from the champion, Sammain glanced at Nick, who’d posted up just to the right of his charges. Already aware of the deep pink flush creeping into Veronica’s cheeks, Castle leaned over the action and asked, “What do you say, champ? You hanging in there?”
Treymane nodded as best she could. “Yeah. Buuuhhh…. back off, Nick. I need room to woRRRRGGGHHHH!”
Autumn squeeeeeeeeezed and twisted her hips hard left, adding that much more torque to Veronica’s neck. “Tap out, Veronica. Don’t make me put you to sleep.”
“What’s wrong, Autumn?” the blonde croaked. “’Fraid your legs don’t have enough--” the taunt was cut off as Sammain grabbed hold of her own left ankle and pulled back, drawing the Scissors all the tighter.
“What do you think, buttercup?” the challenger chided. “Does it feel like I’m in any danger of gassing--” She would’ve said ‘out’ if Veronica hadn’t rolled onto her stomach and forced Autumn to do the same. But Treymane wasn’t flat for long, indeed she powered to all fours in a matter of seconds, despite the handicap of the Scissors. Hoping against hope that Sammain would maintain her hold no matter what, the Neo Noir Knockout gathered her reserves, then let out a determined grunt as she powered to verticality with Autumn riding atop her shoulders!
Far too preoccupied to recognize the impressed applause from the audience, Treymane curled her hands into fists and started hammering away at her attacker’s knees and thighs! Credit to the Gaijin Extraordinaire, she remained committed to the Scissors to the bitter end, even going so far as to pound half a dozen Hammer Punches into the blonde’s forehead. But the clasp eventually gave way and when it did Veronica put both hands on her hips and spun the lithesome lovely around a hundred and eighty degrees. Transformed from aggressor to defender in the blink of an eye, Sammain could only brace for impact as the Dangerous Dame rose onto tiptoes and THAWHAMMED her down on the back of her head and shoulders courtesy of an Electric Chair Powerbomb!
ELECTRIC CHAIR POWERBOMB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPVJ3RaFR_w
The ring-shaking maneuver left Autumn stacked up in a loose Matchbook, so Treymane dropped to her knees and wedged her shoulders into the pits of the brunette’s knees to keep her folded nice and tight while Castle counted off…
ONE…
TWO…
Autumn bucked loose, shoving Veronica back on her haunches while she landed stretched out flat on one side. Treymane didn’t question the count, strong as the Powerbomb was, she knew it was gonna take more than a single shock and awe counter to put down the Dragon of Tokyo. Good thing too. It’d been quite a while since someone had made her feel so outclassed in the ground department (though Lenore was more than happy to point out the holes in her game when they sparred at the Hellhole) and she wanted a few minutes to remind Autumn and the fans that one did not simply showcase against the Dangerous Dame without paying a stern price.
Already balancing the books in her head, Treymane helped herself to Sammain’s left wrist and hauled her to verticality. Soon as they were both upright the champ took a giant step back, dropped her hips and slung Autumn toward the nearest corner at a dead run. More than halfway there before the journey even began, Sammain barely had enough time to twist around in a half circle which only meant it was her back and not her sternum that BWUUUNGED into the top turnbuckle. Weaker legs would’ve given out on the spot, but no one ever accused the Gaijin Extraordinaire of substandard stems so it was of no real surprise when she absorbed the impact and bounced clear with merely a shiver.
Of course her defenses were still quite scrambled, meaning she offered a minimum of protest when the blonde stepped in, bent over and circled an arm around her waist. Hooking her other arm across the back of Sammain’s knees, Treymane hoisted the challenger up like a bag of laundry and promptly sank to one knee to THWHUMP the small of Autumn’s spine over the sturdy post of her thigh. The Pendulum Backbreaker earned a loud ‘Unnnnnggghhh!’ from Autumn, not that she or fans got to appreciate her predicament for very long, as Veronica quickly straightened up and whipped around another half circle, at the end of which she dropped to a seat and THWHAMMED her burden into the mat courtesy a Sidewalk Slam! The ring-shaking maneuver left Autumn folded practically in half, but rather than try another cover Treymane tossed her foe’s stems aside and popped to her feet in the same motion.
BACKBREAKER & SIDEWALK SLAM:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZitX2iDo-M
“Been a long time since someone had the steel to call me buttercup, Daisy.” Veronica chided after she’d laid claim to Autumn’s ankles. “Now you’re gonna find out why.”
Too woozy from the repeated slams to mount her usual stubborn resistance, Sammain didn’t realize the danger until Veronica stuffed her boots into her armpits and lifted her most of the way of the canvas. Digging in with both elbows as her last and only line of defense, Autumn tried to ‘walk’ her way to the ropes, alas she’d made it all of two feet when the Neo-Noir Knockout rolled her onto her belly, stepped over and sat down in the hollow of her back for a deep, deep Boston Crab.
BOSTON CRAB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng00lworhwI
“AAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHH!” Autumn shrieked in surprise and pain as the vengeful blonde tried to twist her into a perfect ‘C’
“Ask her!” Veronica told Nick when she caught the ref’s eye. “She if she’s ready to admit this buttercup tapped her out!” Castle repeated the question in far more diplomatic terms, not that it mattered with Sammain already shaking her head ‘no, no, no!’ “Got you trapped, Daisy.” Treymane taunted after fifteen seconds of squirming and writhing. “Do you have the guts to admit it to the world, though? Or are you going to try and pass out like a wannabe hardNNNGGHHH!”
In no mood for the champion’s mouth when she was dealing with such a predicament, Sammain shifted onto her right elbow and pounded the left into the heavy curves of American glute once, twice, thrice. It was hardly pleasant, but Veronica had trained to endure far worse while working her holds and she quashing the jailbreak by sliding back a few more inches. “Your back will give out long before I’ll get bored, Autumn.” she warned the suffering challenger. “So find another way or submit!”
Sammain wasn’t about to submit and she sure as hell wasn’t going to crawl, not even for someone as talented as Veronica Treymane. That left one option, painful as it was. Steadying her breathing as best she could, the Dragon of Tokyo balled her hands into fists and planted them against the canvas, knuckles down. Treymane felt the subtle shift, looked over one shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t even think about it, Autumn. You may be flexible, but no one is that flex--SHYT!” Sammain proved otherwise when she let out one of those signature war cries and powered herself a good eight inches off the canvas! Impressive to be sure, but it didn’t do anything for her current spine-shredding predicament. No, escape didn’t come until she tucked her chin against her chest and sloooooowly swung / slid her way through the champion’s parted legs!
In the end her feet were still in the champion’s possession, but with her vertebrae back in proper alignment the Joshi Phenom had a few moments to rela-- Treymane yanked those captured stems into a wide ‘V’ raised one foot and STAMPED down on Sammain’s exposed midsection! “Sorry Daisy, you’re not getting loose that easy.” the blonde muttered. “Not when there’s still so much mat between you and the ropes. The Dangerous Dame piled on with a second stomp, then put that foot beside Sammain’s right hip and crossed the brunette’s legs over top her encroaching thigh. A roar of noise from those assembled as Treymane bent down to gather the necessary momentum to flip Sammain over for the Sharpshoo--NO!
Autumn sat up, hooked an arm around the back of the champ’s head and pulled her that much closer. A hair pull would’ve drawn a warning but this particular tactic was perfectly legal, meaning the ref couldn’t and didn’t say anything when the challenger crooked her other arm into a bludgeon and started THWAPPING shots into Veronica’s mug! As stubborn as her opponent under such punishing circumstances, the Pinstripe Powerhouse turned her head away from the barrage, fighting to weather the storm until she was able to wrench loose several seconds later.
Freedom cost her the Sharpshooter set-up, but the Dragon’s feet were still very much in her possession and the ever tenacious blonde and so she stretched them ever wider and dropped to her knees to THWHUMP a Headbutt deep into the pit of Sammain’s stomach! Autumn ‘uuunnnggghed’ and started to fold over, but didn’t get too far with Treymane straightening right back up again. With the grounded brunette slowed to a near crawl, Veronica tossed Autumn’s right leg aside and did a quick do-si-do spin around the left stem and came out the other side neat as you please. Dropping to a seat in the next instant, Treymane seized Sammain’s right foot, threaded it over the exposed left ankle and finished off by threading her leg over the whole works.
“GIVE UP!” the World Champion demanded as soon as she’d boosted her butt up off the mat. “YOU’RE DONE, AUTUMN! TAP OUT!”
Shoulders flat in the wake of this hellacious Figure Four Leglock, the Gaijin Extraordinaire did what she could to catch her breath even as Castle counted off…
ONE…
TWO…
Autumn lifted a shoulder into the air, dropped it once the count ended.
ONE…
TWO…
Second verse, same as the first, only now the challenger smacked her hands into the mat and sat up as best she could. Seemingly unimpressed by her foe’s wherewithal, Veronica jostled the Leglock violently and repeated her previous demand. “Submit, Daisy! Don’t make me ruin your legSERRGH!” Autumn leaned forward and started pounding short, hard shots into the champion’s thigh! Treymane didn’t give up the Figure Four, but she did crumple to her tush and thus alleviate the worst of the pressure.
“Ruin my legs? Sweetie, it’s going to take HELL of a lot more than body by Crossfit to ruin NGH!”
The Neo-Noir Knockout leaned forward as best she could and pasted a rough Haymaker to the brunette’s cheek. “Then how about I just punch you in the face really WHOOAAAAHHEERRRGGGHH!”
Veronica’s plan got a whole lot more difficult once Sammain reared back, torqued her hips and rolled onto her belly, thus reversing the pressure on the Figure Four! Quick to brace her hands against the canvas, Sammain rose up as high as she could and flexed her stems to punish the champion with the impromptu Deathlock. “That what you call a punch?” she snapped over one shoulder. “It’s almost as impressive as your wannabe Figure Four.”
Veronica noted the slight but didn’t respond, as she’d buried her head in her arms to keep from wailing at the fire coursing through her knotted legs and lower back. Noting the strain and torque inflicted by the brunette’s reversal, Castle knelt by the champ’s head and leaned as close as he dared. “What’s the word, Veronica? Holding on ok?”
Treymane pushed up on her elbows and nodded yes. “Clear off, Nick. Gonna need room to--” the resplendent Dragon bore down again, forcing the blonde to stuff her mouth into the crook of one elbow.
At the other end of this human knot, Autumn Sammain flipped hair off her face and said, “Got strong legs, Treymane. Strong back too. That’s why I’m punishing them both. So either get out, or tap out while you can still stand long enough to hand over the--”
Treymane lowered a shoulder and twisted violently to continue Autumn’s barrel roll! Doing so reversed the Leglock a second time, a fact noted by the Dangerous Dame with a triumphant roar. “Ain’t handing you NOTHING, Daisy.” Treymane promised after a particularly rough squeeze forced a pained moan from her usually stoic adversary. “You’re payin’ full price for every second of this beat-NO! NOT A CHANCE!”
Autumn answered with another roll, only Veronica saw it coming and put all her considerable lower body strength into reversing course. Balanced on hip and hand, blonde and brunette teetered at the tipping point for five looooooooooong seconds before a final emphatic twist spun Veronica back onto her belly and into the clutches of that damnable Deathlock. One would think silver linings few and far between while subjected to the wiles of one of savviest submission grapplers of the last decade, however Veronica found one in the form of the ropes not six inches removed from her outstretched fingers. Strengthened by the enthusiastic roars of her fans, the mastermind of the Treymane Gang mustered a single spasmodic lurch and hooked an arm around the bottom strand. “BREAK!” she barked. “BREAK THE HOLD, SAMMAIN! I’M IN THE ROPES!”
Autumn knew damned well where they were and if it had been someone like Juliet or Leah or Sue (especially Sue) demanding release she would’ve poured on the pressure until four and nine-tenths. Instead she released the tension without a word and carefully slid under the bottom rope to the bit of apron beyond. Odd perhaps that the aggressor in such a skirmish would take to the outside of the ring and yet Sammain was the very image of calm, cool and collected as she climbed to verticality. Veronica was a bit slower to recover, the wounded champ leaning heavily against the rubber-coated steel to better gauge the strain on her knees. A veteran move no doubt, alas it still cost a dear price, one Sammain extracted in the form of a huge handful of hair! Hauling the yelping battler upright with a single savage tug, the Joshi Phenom abandoned the infraction in favor of a perfectly legal grip on her opponent’s forearms. These she pulled over and back, neatly wrapping Treymane’s arms around the top rope.
Fans of the World Champion (not to mention Castle as well) quickly warned Sammain against tying her prey in the stands and were greatly relieved when the lithesome brunette made no effort along those lines. And yet the relief was short-lived, as Autumn stepped onto the second rope (just slightly to Veronica’s left) grasped the top rope in both hands and deftly threaded her right leg around the blonde’s throat. It was a Chokehold, Treymane’s stamping feet and flushed face made that abundantly clear, yet it was inflicted with such precision elegance that it took the ref a good five seconds to wrap his head around the infraction and in the interim Autumn cupped her right ankle in her right hand, a tactic that allowed her to force even more air from Treymane’s burning lungs.
Mildly embarrassed by his delayed reaction to the gammy offense, Nick skipped the warning in favor of the count and unlike her first trip to the ropes, Sammain milked this one for everything she could. “FOUR!” gave Treymane her freedom, if only she’d had the energy to use it for something other than deep, ragged breaths. The Gaijin Extraordinaire proved much more productive, quickly dropping back to the apron and sliding a little bit farther to her opponent’s left. One hand curled around the top rope for balance, Sammain planted on her left foot and brought her right leg whipping up in a smooth, vicious arc that ended with her foot THWHACKING against the base of Treymane’s skull! Veronica groaned along with the rest of the fans, but whereas they clambered to their feet to better observe the action, ‘Ronnie managed two shambling steps before her knees gave out and she crumpled to the mat in an ugly facedown sprawl.
“Hmh,” Sammain tapped the toe of her kickin’ foot against the apron as she lined up her next shot. “You take a head kick even better than Burlingame. That’s… impressive.”
Not that Veronica felt very impressive at the moment, what with her aching knees, burning throat and throbbing skull. Bad as she felt, things could always get worse, and that’s exactly what happened when the Dragon of Tokyo went from the apron to the top rope in a single nimble bound. From there she launched herself into a high, floaty somersault that got dangerously sharp once she tucked her head and dropped down with all of her hundred and thirty-plus pounds THWHUMPING across the small of Treymane’s back!
The Senton Atomico sent a violent jolt through the champion’s frame, one that hadn’t entirely subsided when Sammain secured the Half Nelson and rolled her onto her back. Autumn slid into the Crossbody immediately thereafter, one forearm pressed snug to Veronica’s jaw while the other hooked the far leg and drew that knee almost to her chin. A heartbeat later and Castle was beside the action, his palm smacking out a staccato beat of…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Treymane shoved the brunette away with half a second to spare, though doing so caused another unpleasant twinge in her back. Most women would’ve cursed a blue streak or at least slammed a fist against the mat when denied FAWN’s biggest prize by the slimmest of margins, but Autumn only nodded and ‘snapped’ her trunks back into place. “You’re very good, Treymane. Bordering on great. It’s easy to understand why Sue and Sydney took such an interest in you, but for all your natural talent, for all their training, you’re still a rookie. “And rookies don’t win matches against Dragons.” With that she sank a hand into the gorgeous gangster’s flaxen curls and hauled her to verticality.
Too woozy to do much more than grab at her attacker’s wrist, Treymane caught her breath and grumbled, “Nuuuhhh… not a rookie, Sammain. Rookies don’t win World Titles. Then again, neither do YYYNNNNNNGGGHHH!”
Autumn slammed the point of her knee into the small of Veronica’s back, a blow that would’ve dropped her to all fours if the challenger hadn’t caught her in a snug Full Nelson. Forcing Treymane’s chin deep into her own décolletage, Autumn leaned in close and whispered, “I’m not going to threaten you, Treymane. But I will show you why Susannah Burlingame is so afraid of me.” Veronica didn’t get a chance to respond before the Joshi Phenom dropped down and popped her hips to PLANT Treymane on the back of her head and shoulders courtesy of a picture perfect Dragon Suplex. Castle didn’t even bother to check the champ’s shoulders, what with her ankles thrown back somewhere just north of her ears. Still, he positioned himself directly beside the action with an eye on both ladies as he smacked the mat…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Treymane wrenched loose, tumbled onto her stomach and promptly cradled her skull in both arms, a valiant, but undeniably weary effort. Perched on one knee beside the reeling blonde, Sammain took a deep breath, nodded once. “You want to go out on your shield. I appreciate that. No one will ever say you didn’t leave it all in the ring.” Quite willing and more than a little honored to help the champ do exactly that, the Dragon of Tokyo brushed Treymane’s hands away from her head, cupped both ears and scraped her off the mat. Autumn slid her hands across the nape of Treymane’s neck once they were upright and a single Kneelift to the belly doubled her over and opened the floodgates for a whole storm of Muy Thai style Kneelifts, a veritable left-right-left deluge that had the brunette’s buttocks thrumming and Veronica’s chest throbbing as the seconds ground on.
A lifelong practitioner of the ‘hurt, don’t injure’ philosophy (save for that series with Leah, but those were extenuating circumstances) Sammain could feel her blonde’s legs growing weaker with each shot that landed, but she kept the barrage going until Treymane was all but out on her feet in deference to the tenacity she’d demonstrated throughout the course of the fight. Even so, all good (brutal) things must come to an end, so after another half dozen shots the Joshi Phenom reared back and THWHONKED the point of her right knee directly between Veronica’s eyes!
The Dangerous Dame reeled back on her heels, arms windmilling like crazy as she fought to stay vertical. Sammain couldn’t help but admire her toughness, not that it stopped the brunette from planting on her left foot to lash out with a gorgeous Roundhouse aimed directly at the blonde’s temp-- Treymane tucked at just the right time, yet more vindication for Sammain waling on her as thoroughly as she did. Straightening up even as that dangerous leg passed overhead, Veronica balled her fists and THWHACK!
SPINNING WHEEL KICK @ 1:13
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YnikvZ3CDo
The Roundhouse might’ve missed, alas the Spinning Wheel Kick did not, Autumn leaping off her freshly planted right foot to catch the unsuspecting World Champ flush across the cheek. Treymane went down in a heap with both hands trailing limp overhead, the sort of sprawl that made Autumn’s fans roar for a pin even as the woman in question helped herself to the American’s shoulder-straps. Halfway convinced that a ref stoppage was the most direct route to championship gold, Sammain yanked Treymane to her feet, snatched a rough handful of hair and doubled her up with another knee to the gut. Swinging around so she was positioned off to the blonde’s left, Autumn ripped the air with that unmistakable war cry and then lit into the champ’s forehead with no less than half a dozen Kawada Kicks! The last one set Treymane back on her heels with a very obvious line of crimson running from her hairline down the bridge of her nose.
Not that there was a spare second to mourn, let alone clean up the grue, as Autumn dipped around behind the champ and wedged her head beneath Ronnie’s left arm. With her right arm looped around Treymane’s lower back and the left hand braced against opposing buttocks, the Gaijin Extraordinaire gathered her reserves and lifted the big blonde onto her right shoulder for a Backdrop Sup-- Autumn pulled her left hand away from Veronica’s tush, stepped out from under and swung the hapless hottie over to face the canvas before landing on one knee to DRIVE Treymane down flat on her face, chest and belly. The full-body Faceplant soon to be known as the Downbeat rocked Veronica backward onto her knees, where she might’ve stayed for a good long while If a quick shove from the challenger hadn’t forced her down flat again.
DOWNBEAT:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnF9NFkqEw8
Still on one knee, Sammain laid claim to Veronica’s left ankle and folded that leg up at the knee just as she was getting to her feet. T’was only a passing fancy however, as Autumn immediately crooked her right leg around the exposed limb and dropped down atop her foe’s gasping frame. With Treymane’s lower leg wrenched in the vise of her thighs, the Joshi Phenom made things all the more unpleasant by snugging the arch of the American’s trapped foot into the crook of her right elbow. In the same breath she circled her left arm under Treymane’s chin, jerked back and locked her hands in an S-grip to complete the Stepover Toehold Sleeper, or STS for short.
STS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbICk8vI9FA
Whatever you called it, the maneuver woke up Veronica but good, the Neo-Noir Knockout screaming out in anguish as the Dragon tried to make her toes touch the back of her skull. “What do you say, Veronica!?” Nick’s voice was sharp and insistent, impossible to ignore even filtered through the pain of the hold. “Are you tapping out? Are you holding on? Tell me something, girl!”
“GRRRRRRRHHH….GET OUTTA THE WAY, DAMMIT!” Veronica flailed a hand to clear the path and when Castle did as demanded, she gouged her fingers into the deck and sloooooooooowly dragged their combined weight toward the ropes. Sammain felt the progress and didn’t try to stop it, rather she adjusted her position and craaaaaaaaaaanked back on both ends of the hold, a clear effort to break the champion’s resolve before she reached freedom. But Veronica didn’t submit. It took nearly forty seconds and in that time Sammain did indeed put her through submission wrestling hell, but Treymane bit her tongue through it all and just kept crawling through those inches until-- she curled a hand around the bottom rope and rasped, “Break. Break it, AutumnNNNNGGGGGHHHHHH!”
Sammain cranked the hold one more time, then leaned down to whisper in the blonde’s ear. “Keep fighting and you won’t leave under your own power. That’s a promise, champ.” Veronica didn’t answer when the Dragon let her go, she was too focused on pulling herself under the bottom rope for a much needed breather on the ‘OOOOOHHHH!’
Quick to follow up on her promise, Sammain vaulted over the ropes, landed on the apron and then took to the skies for a gorgeous vertical leap, one that THWHONKED the point of her left knee into the base of Veronica’s skull just as the Dangerous Dame was easing off the apron. Murmurs of concern from those fans in the front row as Treymane’s head snapped down and the rest of her followed suit, the once powerful blonde practically oozing from the squared circle to the floor in the wake of this latest assault. Easing to her feet after a perfect tuck n’ roll landing, Autumn flipped hair out of her face and turned to the FAWNatics. “It’s mine.” she told them. “After all these years, it’s gonna be mine.”
JENNY JACOBS:
The challenger strapped an invisible belt around her trim waist, earning a thunderous reaction from the whole of the arena. Check that, the initial reaction was for her impending victory, the continued roar was more of an alarm, one directed at the woman marching down the aisle with a dented chair in hand. Autumn knew the woman well, or at least thought she had until earlier tonight, they had in fact been occasional tag partners and full time road roomies for the better part of five years. Finding herself taking a protective stance for the woman she’d dominated for the better part of ten minutes, Sammain held out a hand and said, “What are you doing here, Jenny? You’ve been watching on the monitor, haven’t you? I got this. Girl’s good, but she’s not beating me tonight. Soon as the strap’s around my waist you can storm the ring all you like, but for now I’m gonna need you to UUUUNNNNNNGGGGGHHHH!”
Jacobs nodded once, made as if to leave, then wheeled around and SLAMMED the round edge of the chair deep into her friend’s midsection! Stunned silence all ‘round, followed by a thunderous wave of boos as Jacobs raised the chair again and BWANGED it down on Autumn’s back. The second impact roused Castle from his incredulity and he threw a signal to the Timekeeper, who clanged the bell right about the time Jenny’s third chair shot sent Sammain from all fours to stretched out flat on her stomach!
“Jenny. JENNY!” Nick snatched the chair away from the Innovator before she could do any more damage. “Are you out of your goddamned mind? That’s the second Main Event you’ve ruined in as many months! Get the hell out of here or I’ll have security NNNGGGGHHHH!”
Jacobs reared back and flat out kicked him in the junk, poor Nick going down like a sack of mail while the incredulous FAWNatics cringed and jeered in equal measure.
“I wasn’t done with that yet, Nick.” the blonde muttered as she reclaimed her weapon of choice from the defenseless zebra. Turning back to the decimated challenger, Jacobs sighed and raked a hand through her battle damp hair. “I’m sorry it was you tonight, Autumn. Really I am. I don’t expect for you to forgive me, but I hope that one day you’ll be able to understand.” Sammain didn’t respond, but she reached out with one hand, grabbed Jacobs’s ankle and tried pulling herself closer to the traitorous blonde. Jenny didn’t try to step away, rather she hefted the steel overhead and zeroed in on the Dragon’s exposed--”
“Don’t even think about it, bytch.” Jacobs looked up and saw Veronica Treymane back on her feet as of a few seconds prior. Jenny lowered the chair, but made no move to step back. “You should thank me, Treymane. I just saved your title… again.”
Veronica frowned, not liking the idea one bit. “I didn’t ask for your… help, against Maddy. And I sure as hell didn’t want it tonight either.”
“And yet you won’t relinquish that belt, will you? Of course you won’t. You’ll come out tomorrow night and talk about how you’re a fighting champion and how you’re gonna give Autumn and Crane a rematch whenever they want. Well, Autumn, anyway. Rumor is Maddy‘s gonna be out for quite a while.”
The Dangerous Dame nodded once. “Damned right, Daisy. I’m not going to let a question like that hang over my reign for--”
“Yes you will.” Jenny interrupted. “See ‘Ronnie, I’m done waiting in line. What you saw tonight, the stretcher ride for Maddy and the beating for one of my best friends, there’s going to be a lot of more of that in your future, until you give me a one on one World Title Match.”
Treymane’s eyes narrowed, she’d expected something like this, but still hated hearing it from Jacobs. “That’s it, huh? NorCal Sensation, Innovator of Offense, now petulant line jumper? Fine. You want a title shot, you got it at Spring Break. On one condition.”
Jenny smirked. “Name it. Put the chair down. Leave Autumn alone. Don’t interfere in one of my matches ever again.”
The Girl of 8,675,309 Holds contemplated the offer, then nodded once. “Done.” The agreement was still hanging between them when she reared back and slung the chair straight at Treymane’s head! Credit the champ’s reflexes, she got her hands up and caught it with ease, alas it was directly in front of her face when Jenny leapt over Autumn and slammed a Spin Kick into the opposite side. There was a loud CRAAACK followed by groans from those assembled as Veronica went down in an insensate sprawl, the chair dented chair coming to rest right beside her.
Now surrounded by the ruins of two world class talents and FAWN’s senior official, Jenny looked around, then put both hands to her midriff and snapped the invisible belt around her waist. “I already know I’m the best in the world.” she told the front row. “Soon I’ll have the hardware to prove it and there’s not a damned thing Treymane… or anyone else, can do about it.”
CLAP FOR THE KILLERS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=el_yvuqJtY0
Over this clamor the Announcer confirmed what everyone already knew. “Ladies and gentlemen it is now time for our Main Event. The following contest is scheduled for one fall with a thirty minute time limit and it is for the FAWN World Championship! Introducing first, she is the challenger, hailing from Tokyo Japan, she stands at one point seven meters tall and weighs in at fifty-nine point eight kilograms. She is the Dragon of Tokyo, the Joshi Kicking Machine, THIS IS… AUTUMN SAMMAIN!”
AUTUMN SAMMAIN:
Autumn stepped into view at the sound of her name and greeted the crowd with a lightning-fast array of punches, chops, elbows, knee strikes and finally kicks, all of which made dangerous little ’whicking’ sounds as they cut the air. Settling back to a zen-like stillness when the kata was finished, Sammain raised her left thumb to her throat and drew it across in a slow slash. With that the lights came up and she started toward the ring.
As unflappable as ever in spite of the task (and quite possibly reward) before her tonight, the Gaijin Extraordinaire kept mostly to the center of the aisle, though she occasionally shifted one way or the other to clap hands extended in her direction. For her first shot at the big belt in quite some time, she wore a black sports bra and matching bottoms which were all but obscured by the Joshi style ‘skirt’ that ended well above the knee. This garment was also dead black, save for several electric green slashes running from north to south. The rest of her outfit consisted of black kneepads, matching boots and fingerless green gloves that reached to just below her elbows.
Picking up her pace as she neared the foot of the ramp, Sammain ignored the steps in favor of reaching the apron in a single nimble leap. In the next instant she’d leapt to the corner and from there vaulted to a spot near the center of the squared circle. Then and only then did she raise her fist and rend the air with her war cry, a shrill, brutal sound that earned streamers from the FAWNatics from the front row to the upper deck. Leaping to a spot in the center even as the crepe continued to fly in, Autumn offered her pads and boots to Nick Castle without once taking her eyes off the stage.
With a dragon already posted up in the squared circle, the Announcer figured he might as well bring out a gangster as well. “And introducing her opponent, hailing from Bridgeport California she stands at five feet eight inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty-four pounds, she is the FAWN World Champion… VERONICA TREYMANE!”
MACHINE GUN BLUES:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf3FOEL3KjE
Grayscale seeped in through the Technicolor as the Treymane Gang greeted their heroine with a boisterous roar. Along with the muted color scheme came a frenetic touch of the modern in the form of Social Distortion’s ‘Machine Gun Blues’. It was to this melding of eras that the Neo-Noir Knockout introduced herself those witnessing this March to War. Sheathed in a half length (it ended about mid-thigh) grey trench coat and matching fedora, Veronica Treymane strode to the top of the ramp and called, “WHO NEEDS A SWORD TO SLAY A DRAGON? I’VE GOT THIS BABY!” She drew the coat aside to reveal not just the ten pounds of leather and gold strapped around her waist, but the replica Thompson’s resting against one strong, lightly-tanned thigh. In the next instant she hoisted the barking iron overhead and unleashed a fire of blazing pyro into the rafters. Setting it on her shoulder once the clip hit empty, Treymane tipped her hat to the crowd and started down the aisle.
VERONICA TREYMANE:
For her battle with arguably the most dangerous striker on the roster, the Neo-Noir Knockout wore the midnight blue ’championship edition’ of her usual boy-cut pinstripe trunks and bustier. The accompanying suspenders and belt gleamed bright white, while her pads and boots matched the blue of her trunks. Her boots remained matte black, as per usual. Eyes locked on the willowy warrior, Veronica went straight up the steps, doffed her fedora and set it on the turnbuckle before stepping between the top and middle ropes. Iron and coat came off next, both handed to Nick, who treated them with the proper reverence.
The belt came next, but rather than offer it to the official, she stepped to within feet of the challenger and held that ten pounds of leather and gold high over her head. Sammain didn’t expect duplicity from the champ, yet she only let her attention drift to the title for a moment.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed every minute of your reign, Treymane.” Autumn said quietly. “Because it ends tonight.”
Veronica noted Castle’s return and carefully set the strap on his shoulder, also without taking her eyes off the brunette. “Heard that a lot, Sammain. From girls bigger and…” she paused, a small smile creeping across her face. “Well, maybe not badder than you. Bigger though. I put them down, I’ll do the same to you. You might be a Dragon, but you’re not the World Champion.”
While a far cry from the sort of blatant chest to chest forehead grinds that marked a heated grudge match, neither champion or challenger had taken their eyes off one another during the referee’s final instructions. Hell, Nick wasn’t sure they’d even blinked. Not that he could blame them mind you. Tonight marked Autumn’s first World Title match since a controversial DQ win during the second reign of Sue Burlingame and as for Veronica, Castle damned well knew she was out to prove her validity against the one woman who could legitimately claim to have kicked her trainer into a stupor.
The Senior Official kept these thoughts to himself and when his spiel was done he glanced from one face to the other. “Any questions, ladies.” Sammain shook her head ‘no’ and Treymane did the same. Nick nodded approval. “FAWN’s never demanded a handshake before a World Title bout, but tonight it strikes me as appropriate, even necessary.” He’d expected demurral if not outright refusal considering the oceans of bad blood between Autumn and Susannah, but the Joshi Phenom surprised him by offering her hand with no hesitation whatsoever.
“You’re going to hurt tonight, Veronica.” the brunette murmured after the champion took her hand. “That’s not a threat or even a promise, but a simple statement of fact. I’m going to kick you harder than you’ve ever been kicked, I’m going to twist your body in ways it was never meant to go and when I get tired of that I’m going to drive you into the mat over and over and over again. If you can fight through all that and still walk out of this ring with the gold over your shoulder… you’ll have earned my respect. But respect or not, you ARE going to feel this match in the morning.”
“I’ve wanted this match for a very long time, Dragon. So I’ll stand here and take every bit of fire you have to offer, just for the chance to put you down with some Chicago Lightning. And if the first bolt doesn’t put you down…” Treymane cocked her free elbow and raised it so it was only inches from the challenger’s jaw. “….I’ve got a lot more ammo where that came from.”
No trace of intimidation from Sammain, just a hard smile as she broke away after a final squeeze. “Need to expand your horizons beyond noir, champ. Everyone knows bullets don’t do anything to a goddamned dragon. You ready to do this?”
Veronica raised her fists, nodded over them. “Waiting on you, DaisYNNNGHH!”
Autumn moved in like a cool breeze and THWHACKED a kick against the side of her opponent’s left thigh! The Pinstripe Powerhouse cringed but didn’t give ground, indeed she lunged for the brunette in search of a lock-up, unfortunately Autumn dipped beneath the attempt and spun around on her opponent’s six. Against anyone else (and Susan in particular) she would’ve slashed a kick across the back of a knee or possibly a straight heel to the glutes, for Veronica she reset her stance and licked another fiery stroke across her thigh, the right one this time.
Treymane winced, spun around and started to answer with a push kick, but drew it back when she realized the brunette was already out of range. “You’ve got strong legs, Veronica. Felt it when I kicked you.” Sammain was circling right, forcing the blonde to move with her in order to properly defend against the next volley. “But I’ve broken down strong targets before and your defense is--” The Neo-Noir Knockout raised her knee like she was gonna kick, then dropped it fast and lunged in even faster. She’d caught Lenore with that exact ploy during a sparring session last week, but Sammain proved the tiniest bit quicker as she threw her hips back at the last second!
More troubling, she caught the champ’s noggin in a Front Facelock and threw her feet out behind to drop both ladies down flat on their bellies. Eager to enforce her will in striking or grappling, Autumn cupped her hands under the champion’s chin, pushed to one knee and somersaulted forward to land in a flawless bridge that just so happened to wrench ‘Ronnie’s neck backward in a wicked Chancery!
LAST CHANCERY:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jna2d61Np-I
Planted on her feet and the crown of her head, Sammain relaxed her grip for a moment, then jerked up that much harder, earning a yowl in the process. “Don’t you dare reach for the ropes, Treymane.” the challenger ordered. “I came here to wrestle, not to play hide and seek.”
Point of fact, Veronica wasn’t reaching for the ropes, she’d just braced one hand against the mat to better alleviate the pressure on her neck. The other groped at the knot of Sammain’s hands, attempting to push it up off her face. No such luck, Autumn only wriggled her foe’s head from side to side before tumbling back the way she’d came. Knowing a mere Chinlock wouldn’t hold the champ for long, Sammain slid back to reapply the Face--
Veronica snatched the encroaching wrist, spun out from under the startled brunette and pinned her facedown with a Hammerlock! “Not gonna give, are you, Daisy?” Treymane teased as she tried to force the other woman’s fingers to touch the nape of her neck. “I’d be terribly disappointed to win without breaking a sweat.”
“You’ll break a lot more than that before the match is over, TreymanEERRRGGHHHH!”
The World Champ forced the Hammerlock a little higher, then shifted her footing so she could plant her right knee atop the pinioned limb. Now with both hands free, Veronica made a show of cracking her knuckles en route to filling both hands with Autumn’s hair. “Watch the hair, ‘Ronnie.” Nick admonished after the blonde yanked Sammain’s head off the mat. “You know better.”
“Lay off, Castle.” Autumn grunted. “We both knew we were gonna play rouUUURRRGGHHHHH!” Veronica ended the hair hold, unfortunately for the Gaijin Extraordinaire it was only to cup both hands under her chin and reef back in a modified Camel Clutch! “Nothing rough about this, Daisy. This is submission wrestling pure and simple. If you WANT rough, I’m happy to oblige you.”
“Do your worst, Treymane.” Autumn grimaced. “You know I’ll do minNNNNGGHHHHH!”
The Dangerous Dame halved her Chinlock, pinched Sammain’s nose between her index and middle fingers and gave it a violent twist! “I know you’re gonna hurt me, Autumn.” Treymane spoke quietly as she tried to grind down the challenger’s reserves. “I know I’m gonna be sore as hell in the morning, hell, probably for the rest of the week. But I’ll still be champion, Daisy. That’ll make all the pain worth UUUNNNNNGGHHHHHHH!”
Autumn suddenly twisted like a live wire, the notoriously bendy brunette escaping the mount and making it to one knee in a single stroke. No longer encumbered by the Hammerlock, the Joshi Phenom drilled her elbow into the champion’s stomach once, twice, three times! The Chinlock dropped away as Treymane moved to protect her midsection. It worked, but only because the challenger had already picked a new target. Filling her hands with the big blonde’s hair, Sammain rose up on one knee and BWUNKED her opponent’s forehead into the mat! Veronica ‘oooffffhed’ and started to roll to one side only to get stopped midway through when Autumn sat hard on the small of her back. “That’s where you’re wrong, Daisy.” Sammain claimed her foe’s biceps and yanked them backward so she could lace them over the sturdy planes of her thighs. “The World Title leaves the ring around my waist tonight. That’s why you’re gonna be sore for a lot more than a week.”
Knowing damned well what the brunette had in mind for her, Veronica tucked her chin against her chest in a desperate attempt to block the--THWHAP! Autumn slammed a Forearm Smash against the back of her opponent’s head. “Give it up, Veronica. Don’t make me take it by force.” The champ growled and twisted her shoulders, fighting to get free of the predicament without surrendering her chin. This didn’t sit well with the Dragon, as she grabbed a rough handful of blonde hair, thus making sure there was no way for Treymane to protect herself from the trio of stiff Forearms that pounded the back of her head. Castle was quick to object to the hair pull, not Sammain maintained it once Veronica raised her chin. Sliding her hands beneath this hard won treasure, Autumn locked her fingers in an S-Grip and jerked back hard enough to wrest a groan of pain from the trapped battler.
CAMEL CLUTCH:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYUWS6G66EQ
“Submit.” Sammain demanded it more on ceremony rather than any real belief in the champion’s helplessness, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.
Veronica couldn’t shake her head without a violent twinge in her neck, so she waggled a finger ‘no’. “No chance, Daisy. You’ll have to break me FEEERRRHHH!”
Autumn punished her with another savage hair pull, a classic Joshi technique that better displayed Veronica’s face for the cameras AND forced her to meet the gaze of her tormentor. “Don’t make demands you’re not ready for, Treymane.” the brunette murmured. “I’ve broken strong women before, be it physically,” she cupped both hands over Treymane’s jaw and pulled up until the American voiced an uncharacteristic whimper of anguish, “or spiritually.” Autumn ended the Chinlock, sent her hands spidering south and filled them with the defenseless Dame’s bounty. The Treymane Gang voiced immediate disapproval for this tactic, but Sammain had a great deal of supporters herself and they countered with equally lusty cheers.
Angered by the groping encroachment of the challenger, Veronica braced her palms against the underside of Autumn’s thighs and lifted up while simultaneously sliding her right knee forward. While far from the prettiest escape in her resume, it alleviated the pressure on her back somewhat and allowed her to clamber to boot leather with Sammain riding shotgun in what looked like an aggressive piggyback ride. “You’re gonna wish you’d kept it clean, Dragon.” Veronica huffed as she sighted in on the nearest corner. “If we go to the trenches, you’re going to lose. BaDNNNGGHH!”
No stranger to the trenches no matter what Treymane might think, Autumn went back to the Chinlock, albeit with only one hand. This was so she could crook her elbow and drive it into the bridge of the gorgeous gangster’s nose! Treymane’s eyes watered, her legs went weak and a single rough yank from Sammain brought her down on her tush with a makeshift Bodyscissors latched around her waist. Didn’t stay that way for long though, as Autumn helped herself to blonde biceps and pulled them back at a sharp angle. In the same instant she slid her legs up around those immobilized limbs and crossed her ankles behind the champion’s head. Hands free to do as they pleased, Autumn treated Veronica’s girls to another rude squeeze, then planted her palms against the canvas and boosted herself up by nearly a foot.
LOTUS LOCK @ 1:22
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ol3_YW6zrw
“Nnnnnngggghhhhhhhhhhh!” Treymane couldn’t contain another frustrated moan as Autumn used the steel in her stems to torture the blonde’s shoulders and neck.
“We can fight wherever and however you want, sweetie.” Sammain offered. “Just as long as you’re putting that big gold belt on the line.”
“You’re not gonna take it without a war.” Treymane knew she shouldn’t waste breath on an answer, but she couldn’t bear to let the brunette tee off on her unopposed.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Sammain rocked her hips once, twice, thrice, then thrust forward to such an extent that Treymane was almost looking at the canvas between her splayed legs. “I’ve never wanted anything handed to me, Treymane. That’s why I’m stretching you as hard as I am. Because I WANT a war. And I want that World Championship.”
Veronica didn’t reply with words, rather she slammed her heels against the canvas and draaaaaaaagged both women a little closer to the ropes. Another slide, this time with her feet fully planted, generated quite a bit more distance than the first. After a third, Autumn grunted and shook her head, clearly disappointed. “Might as well tap out now if all you’re going to do is crawl for safety.” Treymane didn’t stop, the bottom rope was less than eighteen inches from her questing heel.
“Thought you didn’t want to win the easy way, DaisNOOOO GODDAMMIT!” Not quite finished with this demonstration of her mat wrestling dominance, the Gaijin Extraordinaire broke the Lotus Lock but filled her hands with the champ’s golden locks. On her feet in an instant, Sammain draaaaaaaagged her struggling opponent back to the middle of the squared circle and dropped to a seat on her six. Still in possession of her opponent’s hair, Autumn yanked ‘Ronnie’s hair back and slid her legs around the champ’s neck neat as you please. Crooking her left leg under Treymane’s jaw, Autumn tucked that shin in under her right knee and sent a colossal pulse through her thighs.
Veronica gaped, then clenched her teeth, the struggling Dame refusing to voice any more agony for the domineering Dragon. Just as she’d done for the Lotus, Autumn lifted her butt off the mat, thus adding that much more pressure to her victim’s neck. After several seconds of hard squeezing from her and flailed kicking from the champion, Sammain glanced at Nick, who’d posted up just to the right of his charges. Already aware of the deep pink flush creeping into Veronica’s cheeks, Castle leaned over the action and asked, “What do you say, champ? You hanging in there?”
Treymane nodded as best she could. “Yeah. Buuuhhh…. back off, Nick. I need room to woRRRRGGGHHHH!”
Autumn squeeeeeeeeezed and twisted her hips hard left, adding that much more torque to Veronica’s neck. “Tap out, Veronica. Don’t make me put you to sleep.”
“What’s wrong, Autumn?” the blonde croaked. “’Fraid your legs don’t have enough--” the taunt was cut off as Sammain grabbed hold of her own left ankle and pulled back, drawing the Scissors all the tighter.
“What do you think, buttercup?” the challenger chided. “Does it feel like I’m in any danger of gassing--” She would’ve said ‘out’ if Veronica hadn’t rolled onto her stomach and forced Autumn to do the same. But Treymane wasn’t flat for long, indeed she powered to all fours in a matter of seconds, despite the handicap of the Scissors. Hoping against hope that Sammain would maintain her hold no matter what, the Neo Noir Knockout gathered her reserves, then let out a determined grunt as she powered to verticality with Autumn riding atop her shoulders!
Far too preoccupied to recognize the impressed applause from the audience, Treymane curled her hands into fists and started hammering away at her attacker’s knees and thighs! Credit to the Gaijin Extraordinaire, she remained committed to the Scissors to the bitter end, even going so far as to pound half a dozen Hammer Punches into the blonde’s forehead. But the clasp eventually gave way and when it did Veronica put both hands on her hips and spun the lithesome lovely around a hundred and eighty degrees. Transformed from aggressor to defender in the blink of an eye, Sammain could only brace for impact as the Dangerous Dame rose onto tiptoes and THAWHAMMED her down on the back of her head and shoulders courtesy of an Electric Chair Powerbomb!
ELECTRIC CHAIR POWERBOMB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPVJ3RaFR_w
The ring-shaking maneuver left Autumn stacked up in a loose Matchbook, so Treymane dropped to her knees and wedged her shoulders into the pits of the brunette’s knees to keep her folded nice and tight while Castle counted off…
ONE…
TWO…
Autumn bucked loose, shoving Veronica back on her haunches while she landed stretched out flat on one side. Treymane didn’t question the count, strong as the Powerbomb was, she knew it was gonna take more than a single shock and awe counter to put down the Dragon of Tokyo. Good thing too. It’d been quite a while since someone had made her feel so outclassed in the ground department (though Lenore was more than happy to point out the holes in her game when they sparred at the Hellhole) and she wanted a few minutes to remind Autumn and the fans that one did not simply showcase against the Dangerous Dame without paying a stern price.
Already balancing the books in her head, Treymane helped herself to Sammain’s left wrist and hauled her to verticality. Soon as they were both upright the champ took a giant step back, dropped her hips and slung Autumn toward the nearest corner at a dead run. More than halfway there before the journey even began, Sammain barely had enough time to twist around in a half circle which only meant it was her back and not her sternum that BWUUUNGED into the top turnbuckle. Weaker legs would’ve given out on the spot, but no one ever accused the Gaijin Extraordinaire of substandard stems so it was of no real surprise when she absorbed the impact and bounced clear with merely a shiver.
Of course her defenses were still quite scrambled, meaning she offered a minimum of protest when the blonde stepped in, bent over and circled an arm around her waist. Hooking her other arm across the back of Sammain’s knees, Treymane hoisted the challenger up like a bag of laundry and promptly sank to one knee to THWHUMP the small of Autumn’s spine over the sturdy post of her thigh. The Pendulum Backbreaker earned a loud ‘Unnnnnggghhh!’ from Autumn, not that she or fans got to appreciate her predicament for very long, as Veronica quickly straightened up and whipped around another half circle, at the end of which she dropped to a seat and THWHAMMED her burden into the mat courtesy a Sidewalk Slam! The ring-shaking maneuver left Autumn folded practically in half, but rather than try another cover Treymane tossed her foe’s stems aside and popped to her feet in the same motion.
BACKBREAKER & SIDEWALK SLAM:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZitX2iDo-M
“Been a long time since someone had the steel to call me buttercup, Daisy.” Veronica chided after she’d laid claim to Autumn’s ankles. “Now you’re gonna find out why.”
Too woozy from the repeated slams to mount her usual stubborn resistance, Sammain didn’t realize the danger until Veronica stuffed her boots into her armpits and lifted her most of the way of the canvas. Digging in with both elbows as her last and only line of defense, Autumn tried to ‘walk’ her way to the ropes, alas she’d made it all of two feet when the Neo-Noir Knockout rolled her onto her belly, stepped over and sat down in the hollow of her back for a deep, deep Boston Crab.
BOSTON CRAB:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng00lworhwI
“AAAAAARRRRRRRHHHHH!” Autumn shrieked in surprise and pain as the vengeful blonde tried to twist her into a perfect ‘C’
“Ask her!” Veronica told Nick when she caught the ref’s eye. “She if she’s ready to admit this buttercup tapped her out!” Castle repeated the question in far more diplomatic terms, not that it mattered with Sammain already shaking her head ‘no, no, no!’ “Got you trapped, Daisy.” Treymane taunted after fifteen seconds of squirming and writhing. “Do you have the guts to admit it to the world, though? Or are you going to try and pass out like a wannabe hardNNNGGHHH!”
In no mood for the champion’s mouth when she was dealing with such a predicament, Sammain shifted onto her right elbow and pounded the left into the heavy curves of American glute once, twice, thrice. It was hardly pleasant, but Veronica had trained to endure far worse while working her holds and she quashing the jailbreak by sliding back a few more inches. “Your back will give out long before I’ll get bored, Autumn.” she warned the suffering challenger. “So find another way or submit!”
Sammain wasn’t about to submit and she sure as hell wasn’t going to crawl, not even for someone as talented as Veronica Treymane. That left one option, painful as it was. Steadying her breathing as best she could, the Dragon of Tokyo balled her hands into fists and planted them against the canvas, knuckles down. Treymane felt the subtle shift, looked over one shoulder and shook her head. “Don’t even think about it, Autumn. You may be flexible, but no one is that flex--SHYT!” Sammain proved otherwise when she let out one of those signature war cries and powered herself a good eight inches off the canvas! Impressive to be sure, but it didn’t do anything for her current spine-shredding predicament. No, escape didn’t come until she tucked her chin against her chest and sloooooowly swung / slid her way through the champion’s parted legs!
In the end her feet were still in the champion’s possession, but with her vertebrae back in proper alignment the Joshi Phenom had a few moments to rela-- Treymane yanked those captured stems into a wide ‘V’ raised one foot and STAMPED down on Sammain’s exposed midsection! “Sorry Daisy, you’re not getting loose that easy.” the blonde muttered. “Not when there’s still so much mat between you and the ropes. The Dangerous Dame piled on with a second stomp, then put that foot beside Sammain’s right hip and crossed the brunette’s legs over top her encroaching thigh. A roar of noise from those assembled as Treymane bent down to gather the necessary momentum to flip Sammain over for the Sharpshoo--NO!
Autumn sat up, hooked an arm around the back of the champ’s head and pulled her that much closer. A hair pull would’ve drawn a warning but this particular tactic was perfectly legal, meaning the ref couldn’t and didn’t say anything when the challenger crooked her other arm into a bludgeon and started THWAPPING shots into Veronica’s mug! As stubborn as her opponent under such punishing circumstances, the Pinstripe Powerhouse turned her head away from the barrage, fighting to weather the storm until she was able to wrench loose several seconds later.
Freedom cost her the Sharpshooter set-up, but the Dragon’s feet were still very much in her possession and the ever tenacious blonde and so she stretched them ever wider and dropped to her knees to THWHUMP a Headbutt deep into the pit of Sammain’s stomach! Autumn ‘uuunnnggghed’ and started to fold over, but didn’t get too far with Treymane straightening right back up again. With the grounded brunette slowed to a near crawl, Veronica tossed Autumn’s right leg aside and did a quick do-si-do spin around the left stem and came out the other side neat as you please. Dropping to a seat in the next instant, Treymane seized Sammain’s right foot, threaded it over the exposed left ankle and finished off by threading her leg over the whole works.
“GIVE UP!” the World Champion demanded as soon as she’d boosted her butt up off the mat. “YOU’RE DONE, AUTUMN! TAP OUT!”
Shoulders flat in the wake of this hellacious Figure Four Leglock, the Gaijin Extraordinaire did what she could to catch her breath even as Castle counted off…
ONE…
TWO…
Autumn lifted a shoulder into the air, dropped it once the count ended.
ONE…
TWO…
Second verse, same as the first, only now the challenger smacked her hands into the mat and sat up as best she could. Seemingly unimpressed by her foe’s wherewithal, Veronica jostled the Leglock violently and repeated her previous demand. “Submit, Daisy! Don’t make me ruin your legSERRGH!” Autumn leaned forward and started pounding short, hard shots into the champion’s thigh! Treymane didn’t give up the Figure Four, but she did crumple to her tush and thus alleviate the worst of the pressure.
“Ruin my legs? Sweetie, it’s going to take HELL of a lot more than body by Crossfit to ruin NGH!”
The Neo-Noir Knockout leaned forward as best she could and pasted a rough Haymaker to the brunette’s cheek. “Then how about I just punch you in the face really WHOOAAAAHHEERRRGGGHH!”
Veronica’s plan got a whole lot more difficult once Sammain reared back, torqued her hips and rolled onto her belly, thus reversing the pressure on the Figure Four! Quick to brace her hands against the canvas, Sammain rose up as high as she could and flexed her stems to punish the champion with the impromptu Deathlock. “That what you call a punch?” she snapped over one shoulder. “It’s almost as impressive as your wannabe Figure Four.”
Veronica noted the slight but didn’t respond, as she’d buried her head in her arms to keep from wailing at the fire coursing through her knotted legs and lower back. Noting the strain and torque inflicted by the brunette’s reversal, Castle knelt by the champ’s head and leaned as close as he dared. “What’s the word, Veronica? Holding on ok?”
Treymane pushed up on her elbows and nodded yes. “Clear off, Nick. Gonna need room to--” the resplendent Dragon bore down again, forcing the blonde to stuff her mouth into the crook of one elbow.
At the other end of this human knot, Autumn Sammain flipped hair off her face and said, “Got strong legs, Treymane. Strong back too. That’s why I’m punishing them both. So either get out, or tap out while you can still stand long enough to hand over the--”
Treymane lowered a shoulder and twisted violently to continue Autumn’s barrel roll! Doing so reversed the Leglock a second time, a fact noted by the Dangerous Dame with a triumphant roar. “Ain’t handing you NOTHING, Daisy.” Treymane promised after a particularly rough squeeze forced a pained moan from her usually stoic adversary. “You’re payin’ full price for every second of this beat-NO! NOT A CHANCE!”
Autumn answered with another roll, only Veronica saw it coming and put all her considerable lower body strength into reversing course. Balanced on hip and hand, blonde and brunette teetered at the tipping point for five looooooooooong seconds before a final emphatic twist spun Veronica back onto her belly and into the clutches of that damnable Deathlock. One would think silver linings few and far between while subjected to the wiles of one of savviest submission grapplers of the last decade, however Veronica found one in the form of the ropes not six inches removed from her outstretched fingers. Strengthened by the enthusiastic roars of her fans, the mastermind of the Treymane Gang mustered a single spasmodic lurch and hooked an arm around the bottom strand. “BREAK!” she barked. “BREAK THE HOLD, SAMMAIN! I’M IN THE ROPES!”
Autumn knew damned well where they were and if it had been someone like Juliet or Leah or Sue (especially Sue) demanding release she would’ve poured on the pressure until four and nine-tenths. Instead she released the tension without a word and carefully slid under the bottom rope to the bit of apron beyond. Odd perhaps that the aggressor in such a skirmish would take to the outside of the ring and yet Sammain was the very image of calm, cool and collected as she climbed to verticality. Veronica was a bit slower to recover, the wounded champ leaning heavily against the rubber-coated steel to better gauge the strain on her knees. A veteran move no doubt, alas it still cost a dear price, one Sammain extracted in the form of a huge handful of hair! Hauling the yelping battler upright with a single savage tug, the Joshi Phenom abandoned the infraction in favor of a perfectly legal grip on her opponent’s forearms. These she pulled over and back, neatly wrapping Treymane’s arms around the top rope.
Fans of the World Champion (not to mention Castle as well) quickly warned Sammain against tying her prey in the stands and were greatly relieved when the lithesome brunette made no effort along those lines. And yet the relief was short-lived, as Autumn stepped onto the second rope (just slightly to Veronica’s left) grasped the top rope in both hands and deftly threaded her right leg around the blonde’s throat. It was a Chokehold, Treymane’s stamping feet and flushed face made that abundantly clear, yet it was inflicted with such precision elegance that it took the ref a good five seconds to wrap his head around the infraction and in the interim Autumn cupped her right ankle in her right hand, a tactic that allowed her to force even more air from Treymane’s burning lungs.
Mildly embarrassed by his delayed reaction to the gammy offense, Nick skipped the warning in favor of the count and unlike her first trip to the ropes, Sammain milked this one for everything she could. “FOUR!” gave Treymane her freedom, if only she’d had the energy to use it for something other than deep, ragged breaths. The Gaijin Extraordinaire proved much more productive, quickly dropping back to the apron and sliding a little bit farther to her opponent’s left. One hand curled around the top rope for balance, Sammain planted on her left foot and brought her right leg whipping up in a smooth, vicious arc that ended with her foot THWHACKING against the base of Treymane’s skull! Veronica groaned along with the rest of the fans, but whereas they clambered to their feet to better observe the action, ‘Ronnie managed two shambling steps before her knees gave out and she crumpled to the mat in an ugly facedown sprawl.
“Hmh,” Sammain tapped the toe of her kickin’ foot against the apron as she lined up her next shot. “You take a head kick even better than Burlingame. That’s… impressive.”
Not that Veronica felt very impressive at the moment, what with her aching knees, burning throat and throbbing skull. Bad as she felt, things could always get worse, and that’s exactly what happened when the Dragon of Tokyo went from the apron to the top rope in a single nimble bound. From there she launched herself into a high, floaty somersault that got dangerously sharp once she tucked her head and dropped down with all of her hundred and thirty-plus pounds THWHUMPING across the small of Treymane’s back!
The Senton Atomico sent a violent jolt through the champion’s frame, one that hadn’t entirely subsided when Sammain secured the Half Nelson and rolled her onto her back. Autumn slid into the Crossbody immediately thereafter, one forearm pressed snug to Veronica’s jaw while the other hooked the far leg and drew that knee almost to her chin. A heartbeat later and Castle was beside the action, his palm smacking out a staccato beat of…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Treymane shoved the brunette away with half a second to spare, though doing so caused another unpleasant twinge in her back. Most women would’ve cursed a blue streak or at least slammed a fist against the mat when denied FAWN’s biggest prize by the slimmest of margins, but Autumn only nodded and ‘snapped’ her trunks back into place. “You’re very good, Treymane. Bordering on great. It’s easy to understand why Sue and Sydney took such an interest in you, but for all your natural talent, for all their training, you’re still a rookie. “And rookies don’t win matches against Dragons.” With that she sank a hand into the gorgeous gangster’s flaxen curls and hauled her to verticality.
Too woozy to do much more than grab at her attacker’s wrist, Treymane caught her breath and grumbled, “Nuuuhhh… not a rookie, Sammain. Rookies don’t win World Titles. Then again, neither do YYYNNNNNNGGGHHH!”
Autumn slammed the point of her knee into the small of Veronica’s back, a blow that would’ve dropped her to all fours if the challenger hadn’t caught her in a snug Full Nelson. Forcing Treymane’s chin deep into her own décolletage, Autumn leaned in close and whispered, “I’m not going to threaten you, Treymane. But I will show you why Susannah Burlingame is so afraid of me.” Veronica didn’t get a chance to respond before the Joshi Phenom dropped down and popped her hips to PLANT Treymane on the back of her head and shoulders courtesy of a picture perfect Dragon Suplex. Castle didn’t even bother to check the champ’s shoulders, what with her ankles thrown back somewhere just north of her ears. Still, he positioned himself directly beside the action with an eye on both ladies as he smacked the mat…
ONE…
TWO…
THRNOOOO!
Treymane wrenched loose, tumbled onto her stomach and promptly cradled her skull in both arms, a valiant, but undeniably weary effort. Perched on one knee beside the reeling blonde, Sammain took a deep breath, nodded once. “You want to go out on your shield. I appreciate that. No one will ever say you didn’t leave it all in the ring.” Quite willing and more than a little honored to help the champ do exactly that, the Dragon of Tokyo brushed Treymane’s hands away from her head, cupped both ears and scraped her off the mat. Autumn slid her hands across the nape of Treymane’s neck once they were upright and a single Kneelift to the belly doubled her over and opened the floodgates for a whole storm of Muy Thai style Kneelifts, a veritable left-right-left deluge that had the brunette’s buttocks thrumming and Veronica’s chest throbbing as the seconds ground on.
A lifelong practitioner of the ‘hurt, don’t injure’ philosophy (save for that series with Leah, but those were extenuating circumstances) Sammain could feel her blonde’s legs growing weaker with each shot that landed, but she kept the barrage going until Treymane was all but out on her feet in deference to the tenacity she’d demonstrated throughout the course of the fight. Even so, all good (brutal) things must come to an end, so after another half dozen shots the Joshi Phenom reared back and THWHONKED the point of her right knee directly between Veronica’s eyes!
The Dangerous Dame reeled back on her heels, arms windmilling like crazy as she fought to stay vertical. Sammain couldn’t help but admire her toughness, not that it stopped the brunette from planting on her left foot to lash out with a gorgeous Roundhouse aimed directly at the blonde’s temp-- Treymane tucked at just the right time, yet more vindication for Sammain waling on her as thoroughly as she did. Straightening up even as that dangerous leg passed overhead, Veronica balled her fists and THWHACK!
SPINNING WHEEL KICK @ 1:13
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YnikvZ3CDo
The Roundhouse might’ve missed, alas the Spinning Wheel Kick did not, Autumn leaping off her freshly planted right foot to catch the unsuspecting World Champ flush across the cheek. Treymane went down in a heap with both hands trailing limp overhead, the sort of sprawl that made Autumn’s fans roar for a pin even as the woman in question helped herself to the American’s shoulder-straps. Halfway convinced that a ref stoppage was the most direct route to championship gold, Sammain yanked Treymane to her feet, snatched a rough handful of hair and doubled her up with another knee to the gut. Swinging around so she was positioned off to the blonde’s left, Autumn ripped the air with that unmistakable war cry and then lit into the champ’s forehead with no less than half a dozen Kawada Kicks! The last one set Treymane back on her heels with a very obvious line of crimson running from her hairline down the bridge of her nose.
Not that there was a spare second to mourn, let alone clean up the grue, as Autumn dipped around behind the champ and wedged her head beneath Ronnie’s left arm. With her right arm looped around Treymane’s lower back and the left hand braced against opposing buttocks, the Gaijin Extraordinaire gathered her reserves and lifted the big blonde onto her right shoulder for a Backdrop Sup-- Autumn pulled her left hand away from Veronica’s tush, stepped out from under and swung the hapless hottie over to face the canvas before landing on one knee to DRIVE Treymane down flat on her face, chest and belly. The full-body Faceplant soon to be known as the Downbeat rocked Veronica backward onto her knees, where she might’ve stayed for a good long while If a quick shove from the challenger hadn’t forced her down flat again.
DOWNBEAT:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnF9NFkqEw8
Still on one knee, Sammain laid claim to Veronica’s left ankle and folded that leg up at the knee just as she was getting to her feet. T’was only a passing fancy however, as Autumn immediately crooked her right leg around the exposed limb and dropped down atop her foe’s gasping frame. With Treymane’s lower leg wrenched in the vise of her thighs, the Joshi Phenom made things all the more unpleasant by snugging the arch of the American’s trapped foot into the crook of her right elbow. In the same breath she circled her left arm under Treymane’s chin, jerked back and locked her hands in an S-grip to complete the Stepover Toehold Sleeper, or STS for short.
STS:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbICk8vI9FA
Whatever you called it, the maneuver woke up Veronica but good, the Neo-Noir Knockout screaming out in anguish as the Dragon tried to make her toes touch the back of her skull. “What do you say, Veronica!?” Nick’s voice was sharp and insistent, impossible to ignore even filtered through the pain of the hold. “Are you tapping out? Are you holding on? Tell me something, girl!”
“GRRRRRRRHHH….GET OUTTA THE WAY, DAMMIT!” Veronica flailed a hand to clear the path and when Castle did as demanded, she gouged her fingers into the deck and sloooooooooowly dragged their combined weight toward the ropes. Sammain felt the progress and didn’t try to stop it, rather she adjusted her position and craaaaaaaaaaanked back on both ends of the hold, a clear effort to break the champion’s resolve before she reached freedom. But Veronica didn’t submit. It took nearly forty seconds and in that time Sammain did indeed put her through submission wrestling hell, but Treymane bit her tongue through it all and just kept crawling through those inches until-- she curled a hand around the bottom rope and rasped, “Break. Break it, AutumnNNNNGGGGGHHHHHH!”
Sammain cranked the hold one more time, then leaned down to whisper in the blonde’s ear. “Keep fighting and you won’t leave under your own power. That’s a promise, champ.” Veronica didn’t answer when the Dragon let her go, she was too focused on pulling herself under the bottom rope for a much needed breather on the ‘OOOOOHHHH!’
Quick to follow up on her promise, Sammain vaulted over the ropes, landed on the apron and then took to the skies for a gorgeous vertical leap, one that THWHONKED the point of her left knee into the base of Veronica’s skull just as the Dangerous Dame was easing off the apron. Murmurs of concern from those fans in the front row as Treymane’s head snapped down and the rest of her followed suit, the once powerful blonde practically oozing from the squared circle to the floor in the wake of this latest assault. Easing to her feet after a perfect tuck n’ roll landing, Autumn flipped hair out of her face and turned to the FAWNatics. “It’s mine.” she told them. “After all these years, it’s gonna be mine.”
JENNY JACOBS:
The challenger strapped an invisible belt around her trim waist, earning a thunderous reaction from the whole of the arena. Check that, the initial reaction was for her impending victory, the continued roar was more of an alarm, one directed at the woman marching down the aisle with a dented chair in hand. Autumn knew the woman well, or at least thought she had until earlier tonight, they had in fact been occasional tag partners and full time road roomies for the better part of five years. Finding herself taking a protective stance for the woman she’d dominated for the better part of ten minutes, Sammain held out a hand and said, “What are you doing here, Jenny? You’ve been watching on the monitor, haven’t you? I got this. Girl’s good, but she’s not beating me tonight. Soon as the strap’s around my waist you can storm the ring all you like, but for now I’m gonna need you to UUUUNNNNNNGGGGGHHHH!”
Jacobs nodded once, made as if to leave, then wheeled around and SLAMMED the round edge of the chair deep into her friend’s midsection! Stunned silence all ‘round, followed by a thunderous wave of boos as Jacobs raised the chair again and BWANGED it down on Autumn’s back. The second impact roused Castle from his incredulity and he threw a signal to the Timekeeper, who clanged the bell right about the time Jenny’s third chair shot sent Sammain from all fours to stretched out flat on her stomach!
“Jenny. JENNY!” Nick snatched the chair away from the Innovator before she could do any more damage. “Are you out of your goddamned mind? That’s the second Main Event you’ve ruined in as many months! Get the hell out of here or I’ll have security NNNGGGGHHHH!”
Jacobs reared back and flat out kicked him in the junk, poor Nick going down like a sack of mail while the incredulous FAWNatics cringed and jeered in equal measure.
“I wasn’t done with that yet, Nick.” the blonde muttered as she reclaimed her weapon of choice from the defenseless zebra. Turning back to the decimated challenger, Jacobs sighed and raked a hand through her battle damp hair. “I’m sorry it was you tonight, Autumn. Really I am. I don’t expect for you to forgive me, but I hope that one day you’ll be able to understand.” Sammain didn’t respond, but she reached out with one hand, grabbed Jacobs’s ankle and tried pulling herself closer to the traitorous blonde. Jenny didn’t try to step away, rather she hefted the steel overhead and zeroed in on the Dragon’s exposed--”
“Don’t even think about it, bytch.” Jacobs looked up and saw Veronica Treymane back on her feet as of a few seconds prior. Jenny lowered the chair, but made no move to step back. “You should thank me, Treymane. I just saved your title… again.”
Veronica frowned, not liking the idea one bit. “I didn’t ask for your… help, against Maddy. And I sure as hell didn’t want it tonight either.”
“And yet you won’t relinquish that belt, will you? Of course you won’t. You’ll come out tomorrow night and talk about how you’re a fighting champion and how you’re gonna give Autumn and Crane a rematch whenever they want. Well, Autumn, anyway. Rumor is Maddy‘s gonna be out for quite a while.”
The Dangerous Dame nodded once. “Damned right, Daisy. I’m not going to let a question like that hang over my reign for--”
“Yes you will.” Jenny interrupted. “See ‘Ronnie, I’m done waiting in line. What you saw tonight, the stretcher ride for Maddy and the beating for one of my best friends, there’s going to be a lot of more of that in your future, until you give me a one on one World Title Match.”
Treymane’s eyes narrowed, she’d expected something like this, but still hated hearing it from Jacobs. “That’s it, huh? NorCal Sensation, Innovator of Offense, now petulant line jumper? Fine. You want a title shot, you got it at Spring Break. On one condition.”
Jenny smirked. “Name it. Put the chair down. Leave Autumn alone. Don’t interfere in one of my matches ever again.”
The Girl of 8,675,309 Holds contemplated the offer, then nodded once. “Done.” The agreement was still hanging between them when she reared back and slung the chair straight at Treymane’s head! Credit the champ’s reflexes, she got her hands up and caught it with ease, alas it was directly in front of her face when Jenny leapt over Autumn and slammed a Spin Kick into the opposite side. There was a loud CRAAACK followed by groans from those assembled as Veronica went down in an insensate sprawl, the chair dented chair coming to rest right beside her.
Now surrounded by the ruins of two world class talents and FAWN’s senior official, Jenny looked around, then put both hands to her midriff and snapped the invisible belt around her waist. “I already know I’m the best in the world.” she told the front row. “Soon I’ll have the hardware to prove it and there’s not a damned thing Treymane… or anyone else, can do about it.”