Standing behind the stage, Tsunami was getting loose and getting ready to make her debut for her bout tonight. It was against her rival, Death Adder. They’d been feuding for quite some time, and today was marking yet another chapter in their soon-to-be historic feud. Taking a deep breath, she pulled tight on her wrist wrap before hearing her intro music come on.
Running out, Tsunami’s name was displayed on the screen as the pyrotechnics came out. Her run slowed down into a gradual walk, as she greeted the crowd that was cheering on wildly for her. Running over, she gave a couple of high fives to the crowd on one side, before darting over to the other side to give some more high fives. Once she’d given enough high fives, she’d made her way back onto the walkway to finally arrive at the ring.
Slipping through the ropes, she stepped onto the mat and bounced around to get a feel of the mat. Even though she’d been through this rodeo a countless number of times, it still felt natural to her to bounce around. It was going to help her anxiety as her opponent would come in just about now.
As soon as she arrived in the arena, Hana Song ceased to exist for however long it took for her part in the show to end. The car door slammed and from the back of the vehicle emerged only the Death Adder. Backstage she didn’t stop and converse with people apart from the few instances where she discussed spots for any match she was booked in but Adder was someone who preferred to call things on the spot and she’d worked with the women on the roster long enough and well enough to trust that they could keep up with her. A near ten year veteran had seniority in many instances even if backstage their reputation preceeded them.
Tonight she had the distinct honor of opening the show. The first match dictated the energy of the crowd and her match today put her against Tsunami, a comparatively less experienced member of the roster but one who had the backing of the crowd. Two women who could work stiff enough to make people watching at home wince - that sort of match suited Adder well. She’d built her career on it fo-r a reason.
Tsunami’s music was still playing and Tsunami herself was bouncing around the mat as Adder waited in the wings, her boots laced and the black and dark purple material of her top and shorts were ready to catch the light of the arena when she made her trip down to the ring. Back before she was the self-proclaimed boss-ass bitch of the AWE, the serpent in the grass ready to strike, Adder would toss her baseball cap emblazoned with the logo of the Los Angeles Angels or other local, specific sports teams (well before she had her own specific line of merch and serpent based logo) to the crowd. These days she left her cap in the guerilla with the crew making it happen backstage.
And then it happened. The pounding snares and bass of her entrance music and the ensuing boos from the crowd. Of course there were cheers mixed in, but it wouldn’t have been an AWE show if the mere sight of Adder didn’t get the crowd a mixture of excited and worked up. Chants of “Fuck you, Adder” weren’t rare, but after so long she knew how to tune it out and when to play it up. Making her way down the ramp,her black snake-skin jacket flowing and her dark toned outfit still shining in the light, Adder strutted with confident stride and narrowed eyes aimed solely at her newest victim. The boos and the fans trying in vain for a high five didn’t matter; she only saw the ring and who was waiting for in it.
Adder used the steps to get to the apron then entered by stepping through the top and middle ropes, all the while keeping her eyes locked on Tsunami like the predator sizing up her prey. Adder would remain in her corner, staring and smirking until the familiar sound of the bell signaled it was time to strike.
Once the bell rang, Tsunami bounced on her wrestling shoes masquerading as boots. Today she’d gone with one of her alternate outfits. Gone was the white and red, but in was the black and red. It was fitting, considering how much this feud had consumed her at this point. Circling around her opponent, she was also sizing Adder up. What did she have in store this time? Tsunami was going to have to initiate in order to find out.
Taking a deep breath, Tsunami went in and tied up with Adder. One arm on the neck, and one arm on the elbow. She figured this time around she’d start off grappling. Attacking Adder where she was best. She would’ve never expected it to go this way. Tsunami was aiming to secure a back clinch, where she’d predictably go for a german suplex.
If there was one thing to note about Adder’s offense, other than her seeming aversion to a more mat based style, was that she rarely liked to make the first move. It was harder to have an ‘anywhere striking offense’ if she was the one signaling every move with punches and kicks hitting the air. When Tsunami went for the back clinch, Adder didn’t let the girl get to the lifting phase; this wasn’t her first rodeo. Adder quickly got her left foot behind Tsunami’s left foot to trip the attacker out of the clinch.
Falling victim to Adder’s tripping attempt, Tsunami fell to the mat, but quickly recovered by rolling out of it and standing straight back up. Okay, so it was clear that Adder wasn’t having the clinch today. That was fine, considering that just meant that Tsunami was going to be able to do what she did best. Pulling her leg back, Tsunami rotated her hip to swing her leg at Adder’s midsection. Hopefully that’d knock her off her guard.
Tsunami’s leg struck true with Adder taking the hit to the midsection but remaining undaunted by the task before her. Unfortunately, with the hit came Adder wrapping her hand around Tsunami’s foot, catching her and holding her foot in place. Rather than go immediately into a counter, she took the moment to mock Tsunami; though the cameras didn’t pick it up on audio, she was goading Tsunami with a simple hypothetical question. “You call that a kick?”
“Nah, but I call this a kick.” Tsunami hopped on her singular leg, before hopping up and bringing the leg over to her head to counter Adder’s grasp on her leg.
Adder’s head rocked to the side as the impact loosened her hold on Tsunami’s foot and she herself planted to the mat. The impact on Adder’s head sounded out loud; it was sure not to be the last kick of the match but with the two of them, every strike had a way of sounding like a gunshot. Adder remained on the mat for the inevitable follow-up, doubling as selling the hell out of the enziguri.
Watching the strike collide, Tsunami soon found herself on the floor. Adder was down and out, which meant Tsunami had all the opportunities in the world to capitalize. She had to make a decision and commit to it. Tsunami darted over to Adder’s unconscious body, and turned her over to put her in a pinhold. Hopefully she’d get this pin and end this match early.
The ref only managed a one count before Adder had kicked out. It was cute that Tsunami thought she could end it with a simple kick - that was more within Adder’s wheelhouse. After kicking out Adder needed to keep Tsunami from continuing the offensive, and so kicked towards Tsunami’s knee just to create enough distance for Adder to get back to her feet; and if it managed to knock Tsunami onto her ass then that was just a bonus.
Caught off guard, Adder’s kick caught Tsunami’s knee at just the right spot to knock her on her feet. Falling onto the mat, Tsunami was trying to scramble back up to her feet but her shoes weren’t really having it. It was the perfect time for Adder to capitalize.
Adder was never one to rest on her laurels and took the opening presented to her. More technical sorts might have taken to wearing down limbs or applying pressure, but Adder was nothing if not a creature of physical habit and promptly took to stomping Tsunami. Her feet, her arms, her hands, Adder stomped a circle around Tsunami, stepping away from her target just in order to come at Tsunami’s head with every intention of dropping a knee onto it.
Tsunami felt the wrath of Adder capitalizing on her slip up. Her poor limbs were feeling the pain, but that wasn’t it. That still wasn’t the end of it all. Tsunami wasn’t gonna give up, but she was definitely disoriented after that onslaught. Going up on her knees, she tried crawling to the ropes for safety, but before she could get anywhere, Tsunami took a knee to the head and fell down. Now
she was the one down and out for the count.
If it was any other opponent Adder might have given them the benefit of the doubt and the respect not to go for the pin after the fact. But this wasn’t ‘any other opponent’. This was Tsunami, the frail little girl playing at being some kind of anime hero; unfortunately anime, unlike this, wasn’t real. Adder rolled Tsunami onto her back and went for the cover. Shame it was over so soon, Adder expected a bit more fight. Her mistake.
Opening her eyes, Tsunami was listening to the ref count down. “One…” Tsunami was staying completely still. She couldn’t move. Just waking up from a hit like that was hard enough, now she had to deal with Adder trying to pin her and end it. “Two…” She only had one more count to get out, otherwise it was game over. As the referee raised his hand for the next count, Tsunami felt a wave of energy pulse through her body. She kicked out just in time, rolling away from Adder to catch her breath. She still couldn’t get up, but at least she wasn’t in danger anymore.
So there was fight left in her after all. At the pin escape, Adder gave a mocking clap in Tsunami’s general direction while rising to her feet. Adder wasn’t going to wait for Tsunami to get up, and really there was only one way to prove the point that when Adder knocked you down, you stayed the fuck down. Death Adder crooked her left foot under Tsunami’s chin and lifted, helping Tsunami to her feet. When Tsunami was standing, Adder paused a moment before spinning and raising her left foot on the rotation, aiming to take Tsunami’s head clean off, skipping past the Rattler’s Bite and going for the killshot that was Adder’s Kiss.
Just when things couldn’t have gotten any worse, Adder was gearing up for her finisher. Tsunami would know what was coming better than anyone. That also meant that she had the right move to counter it. Ducking underneath Adder’s leg as it came around, she immediately grabbed a hold of Adder and tried her absolute damndest to go for a belly-to-belly suplex.
Perhaps she’d been a bit too predictable or overzealous in her desire to make a quick example of Tsunami. A rabid dog needed to be put down and Tsunami was a few yaps away from being one of those. Adder’s surprise at Tsunami ducking out of the telegraphed version of the Adder’s Kiss was met with Adder being suplexed and put on her back with a thud on the mat. This dog had some fight left. Good. It made the final blow more satisfying.
Tsunami needed to take advantage of this opportunity as fast as she could. As soon as she landed the suplex, she grabbed at Adder’s leg for the pin. She knew this opportunity wouldn’t last, but it was worth a shot. “Just give up! Save yourself the trouble!” Tsunami shouted, as she tugged on the leg.
Trouble? It was cute how Tsunami thought what she was doing was troublesome for Adder. She would’ve smiled if she wasn’t supposed to be selling and not corpsing. She stayed down for the two count then got her shoulder up, rolling onto her stomach and pushing herself back up to standing. Adder made a bit of a retreat, standing near the ropes and eyeing up Tsunami, beckoning her to bring it further with two fingers.
Was Tsunami going to take up the challenge? Hell yes she was. Tsunami got back into fighting stance and quickly tried to close the distance, opting for a superkick as she shuffled and extended her lead leg far enough to make contact with Adder’s head.
If Adder’s plan had been to stand there and let Tsunami kick her in the head, the superkick would surely have been successful, but as soon as Tsunami made the move to bridge the gap, Adder ducked as the kick whizzed over her head. Crouching down, Adder was in prime position for a trip or a low blow or a simple takedown. What she opted to do instead, was pop right back up after the kick and spew the green ‘venom’ in Tsunami’s face.
Getting a faceful of the deadly green venom in her face, Tsunami covered her face and fell back down to the ground to protect herself from any more of the noxious liquid. How did Tsunami not see this coming? It wasn’t the first time that she had dealt with this. Staying belly-down, Tsunami was yet again rendered incapacitated. She was screaming in agony as she tried to clear her eyes of the stinging venom.
There was nothing quite like seeing the fruits of labor come to pass, and watching Tsunami writhe on the mat as another victim of the venomous spit of the Death Adder brought about a dark grin from the still-standing aggressor. Adder took her time in walking towards the screaming Tsunami, but she kneeled down to rub salt in the wound with something equally as venomous as her sting: her words. “Is this what your ‘sensei’ taught you? How to scream?” To drive the point home, Adder was rather aggressively poking Tsunami’s shoulder, like a bully smacking a wimpy child around.
Tsunami’s thrashing calmed down as Adder closed in. It wasn’t smart to back a dog into a corner. Adder was right, Tsunami’s sensei didn’t teach her to cry on the ground like a little bitch. However, he did teach her how to do the next move. As Adder came down closer, Tsunami snatched Adder’s arm and turned around to reverse the position into a fujiwara armbar. “This, is what my sensei taught me!”
The look of confidence that had been all over Adder’s face had gone in an instant and with it came the shock and pain of the sudden armbar. In one fell swoop it was Adder that was face down, her arm being wrenched and worked while her free hand was balling and unballing a fist. The momentum was shifting away from Adder, and that was causing her to wince.
Pulling just a bit to cause some more damage to Adder, Tsunami then let go of the armbar. The tides had turned in favor of Tsunami, and she was looking to capitalize and make the most out of it. Spinning around to the other side of Adder, she slipped two hands underneath Adder’s midsection, squatting down to set up a gutwrench suplex.
Adder was still reeling from the shock and the armbar that by the time the hands went around her midsection she was already being lifted in the suplex, her feet flailing as they left the ground of the mat until she was turned ass-over-front and dropped onto her back, hitting the mat hard with the suplex.
This had to be it! Tsunami could taste the end. It was within her grasp as long as she kept this up. Jumping on Adder, she proceeded to beat her down and do some serious harm ground and pound style. Adder still needed to be softened up, but Tsunami knew this was the best way to do it.
Adder could hear the crowd voice their approval at the turn of events as she was now on the defensive as blow after blow bore down on her like the fist of an angry god. She had one option and that was to make Tsunami pause in her assault, which would only happen if...Adder reached out and grabbed the lower rope with a hand, causing the referee to step in and caution Tsunami. It was a cheap tactic, but wherewithal and ring awareness was a vital skill.
Unbeknownst to Tsunami, in the middle of her beatdown of Adder, Adder had managed to reach out to the rope and actually touch it. The ref had to step in and pull Tsunami off of her beatdown. At first she was confused, but then she realized that Adder was close enough to touch the rope and have them break. Still, she wasn’t about to admit that it was her fault. “Are you
fucking kidding me, ref?” Tsunami protested, as they were stood back up. Sighing, once the ref let them go at it again, Tsunami soon determined that it was time to
really end this match once and for all. Tsunami was getting ready to pull off one of her finishers.
With the assault ended for the moment, Adder didn’t take the time to get to her feet or even strike back; she instead took the moment while Tsunami was distracted with the ref to pull herself under the ropes and out of the ring, landing on the floor with an ungraceful drop. No matter what Tsunami planned to do next, Adder at least knew that she couldn’t be pinned on the outside of the ring, Adder would use that to her advantage.
Huh. For someone with so much confidence she sure had the gall to back down when things were getting hairy. Tsunami didn’t mind, though. She had more than enough in her arsenal to deal with Adder outside of the ring. She figured she was softening up real good, considering that she had actually retreated. It was like a snake to retreat when they got hurt. Staring Adder down, Tsunami made her way to the closest apron to her. It was clear what was coming next. Climbing up to the top. Tsunami only looked down at Adder, before looking at the crowd and raising her hands to pump them up. This was it. If Tsunami hit this… then it was definitely game over for Adder.
It was the poor predator who let the prey get away, but it was the well fed one that lulled their target to the point where they thought they had the upper hand. Adder was making quite the effort of showing her struggle to get to her feet while Tsunami was taking her time climbing to the top. All she had to do was wait for Tsunami to jump…
When the jump came, Adder sprung up, revealing the hard steel of the trashcan lid she had been concealing just out of sight, pulled out from under the ring as she exited it. As Tsunami came down, Adder swung up, the trash can lid colliding with Tsunami and the sound of flesh on steel ringing out like a gun. As the bell sounded for the end of the match, Adder simply smiled as the shock of it was starting to set in for the crowd.
Preparing to go for the jump, the opportunity was now. Tsunami had to take it now. Preparing a flying triangle, the crowd was on its feet as Tsunami got ready to jump, Much to her surprise, though, Adder had something in store for her that she’d never expect. As she leapt onto Adder, she revealed a garbage can lid that was acting as a shield for her. Tsunami knew what was going to be happening.
Colliding with the shield, Tsunami bounced off like a rubber ball and launched into a barrier at a shockingly high speed. The force of the collision was enough to disorient Tsunami. She grabbed her shoulder, wincing from the injuries she’d sustained from the event.
The match was already over and while Tsunami had technically won, Adder was the one getting the last laugh as she watched the look of pain on Tsunami’s face. Adder’s work was not done. Not so long as Tsunami was still breathing. With trash lid still in hand, Adder struck again, slamming it against Tsunami’s back to the angry roaring of the crowd and their raucous boos. The match was over. There were no longer any rules, and there was no one to stop her.
Feeling the round piece of metal collide with her back, Tsunami cried out in pain. There was no point in putting up any more attack. She lied down, no longer wanting to deal with the pain despite her technical victory. Officially, she won, but it was about as hollow of a victory as the Battle of Coral Sea.
