Well that's not supposed to happen.
The plan had been so simple. Reiko would win the last round of the tournament and be crowned champion. Then she would mysteriously disappear on her way out of the arena. She would spend a few months in the lower levels of RR Headquarters, providing priceless data for the Lady X program and being conditioned to serve the Corporation. As long as there were no rejection issues, she would be able to re-debut as Anesthesia's trusted sentinel and help test the next wave of lab mice. All it took to bring in a new recruit were a few needles, a couple scalpels, and plenty of tender loving care. Her older sister had already gone through the regimen with promising results.
Unlike her sister, however, Reiko had ended up lying in a worthless heap before a pair of rock star platform boots. Anesthesia would have to go back to the drawing board.
Candy Cane—Rebecca something or other, according to her record—had come up as a suboptimal specimen in every calculation. Statistically speaking, she shouldn't have made it further than the semi-finals. But here she was, the new Rumble Rose Champion, and the only test subject to pass Anesthesia's secret experiment. Part of her wished Candy Cane had smashed her electric guitar over Reiko's head or pulled some other trick during the match. At least then she would have had an unfair advantage in the equation and Reiko could still be considered the prime physical specimen. To think the annoying little twit managed to win clean.
While Candy Cane won some unexpected applause from the crowd, Anesthesia considered her options. Perhaps she was wrong to only focus on girls from the Hinomoto family, but she still cringed slightly at the idea of seeing Candy Cane's band logo spray painted on the championship title.
The good doctor sighed to herself and carried the golden belt into the ring. She stopped once she crossed the ropes, taking a final moment to size up her candidate before committing to her new strategy.
It didn't take long for Candy Cane to get in her secret admirer's face.
"C'mon already! Give me my belt, bitch!" The new champion growled as she tried to work a stiff spot out of her shoulder.
Anesthesia gave a silent nod toward the referee. Candy Cane was too distracted by Anesthesia's coy glances and her own greed to notice the official approaching her from behind. She remained equally oblivious when the ref's left index finger transformed into a small surgical drill and pointed just toward the nape of her neck. Employing mass produced LX prototypes as arena staff always helped with risk management.
Candy Cane spent her last second of independent thought yelping in pain. The bug came online and took over its hostess's nervous system before the audience went completely quiet in confused silence.
Candy Cane's eyes now appeared empty and doll-like. The well-behaved expression on her face looked comical under her stage makeup and her 'rowdy schoolgirl'-themed ring attire. Her gloved hands dangled at her sides like a puppet waiting for someone to pull its strings. The slightest push probably would have tipped her over if she hadn't already been programmed with several automatic counter-offensive protocols.
The punk singer was no longer raging against the machine.
"Lady Y reporting for duty, ma'am." Her chirpy voice was the only thing left with any tinge of character.
Anesthesia was already starting to miss some of the girl's former spunk, so she thought of a few adjustments she would make once they got to the locker room. She would need to be careful, though. It wouldn't be good to let the corporate stooge have too much free will.
She answered Candy Cane with a satisfied grin.
"That's better. Now, I have one last challenge for you before you can be rewarded. Be a dearie and get rid of the leftover, won't you?" The look she shot toward Reiko's helpless body was equal parts sincere and sinister. "We won't be needing her anymore."
Candy Cane moved toward Reiko without a second thought. She straddled her still-groggy opponent in the center of the ring, placing her hands on Reiko's cheeks as if to shake her wake. Feeling fingertips gliding over her face, Reiko struggled to regain her senses and mumbled in unintelligible resistance. Candy Cane only continued to toy with her prey.
The suspense came to an end when Candy Cane's hands firmly gripped the sides of Reiko's head. Her thumbs floated over Reiko's glossy eyes for a moment, then pressed inward.
Reiko's entire skull caved in with a decisive crunch. Her legs briefly spasmed in a macabre attempt to kick out of the pin. The crowd gave a collective gasp toward Candy Cane's display of strength. Anesthesia approved of the spectacle with merciless laughter. Plan B was coming together just fine.
When Candy Cane stood up, she was finally allowed to claim the Rumble Rose Championship as her own. She didn't even bother to clean off her hands when she held title over her head, and soon the gold faceplate was smeared in a shade of red that was fitting for the belt's name. The crowd screamed like bloodthirsty Roman plebeians as the event went off the air.