Disclaimer: This may or may not be an accurate interpretation of the beginnings of Team Super Heroine.
Things were rough for Mai heading into the next KoF tournament – she and Yuri's team was in a well-documented state of 'recruitment purgatory'.
Mai was by herself one day at a local hangout, just trying to get past the struggles for just a day or two, and it was this day where things actually started to go the right direction – pinpointed by the moment she noticed a certain mane of purple hair stopping by.
"Ooo~" Mai hooted. "Look who's changing it up~"
Noticeably sporting a shorter hair-style than what she usually had in the past few tournaments, Athena smiled back, managing to recognize the ninja-babe despite the more casual dress. "Oh, Mai – how's it going?"
"Ohh... it's been 'going', I guess."
"Been rough trying to get a team together?"
"You heard?"
"Mary told me about the fliers."
"Oh did she now?"
"I mean, it's nice to promote, and stuff," Athena noted, "but I'm surprised you had to go that direction. I would've thought you could bring someone into the team just from your looks alone.."
"That really only works on guys," Mai replied. "I couldn't count any ladies in even one hand I could get into the team with my 'bounce'. Wish I had a more loyal circle like you seem to have, with your team. You're the leader of the Psycho Soldier's team for a reason, after all."
"...Oh. Uhh..." Athena awkwardly shifted down into the empty seat in front of the kunoichi.
"Yeah, about that..."
Mai's eyebrows raised slightly. "Hmm? What's wrong?"
"Well..." Athena clutched at her opposite shoulder, slightly nerved. "I'm... not sure there is going to be a Psycho Soldiers team this year."
"Oh no~ what happened?"
"Let's just say it was a matter of preparing for the future. The Dragon Spirit's no joke, and neither are the bad guys that might be gunning for us. It's not just bad for my career, it's rough all around."
"Woof. It must be rough if it has to come down to straight up 'Splitsville'."
On one end, Mai understood deeply about how it must feel to have to separate from close friends for the sake of the long-term.
Then again, that also meant something else that peaked the shinobi's interest.
"I guess... that means you don't have anyone to partner up with?"
Athena hesitated, "Uhhh... yeah, I am, I guess. Why? Is there something you wanted to ask me?"
"You know what? Yeah, I think there is..." For Mai, it looked as though an opportunity was finally rising-
"Actually - hold that thought," Athena interrupted, holding up one hand while 'feeling something out' on her head with her other - as though she sensed something... "Something doesn't sit right around here..."
She then heard a brief rattle from above... "Hmm?" Instinctively, she suddenly teleported off the chair...
…just as Yuri dropped in from atop the awning of the cafe hotspot, slamming into the chair and joining it as she toppled to the ground in a pained mess!
Athena reappeared a couple feet to the right, and she immediately looked inconvenienced as she stared at Yuri on the ground, before meeting her gaze back onto Mai.
Mai was now blushing in embarassment, having no way to hide that she knew why Yuri was up there.
"...I can explain."
Athena's arms were crossed. "Please do."
Mai proceeded to explain...
"Soooo, the fliers weren't doing anything but get Mary on our asses – as you probably heard..."
"Uh-huh."
"So we had to resort to more physical means to get someone to fill a spot on our KoF team."
"So your second idea was to start jumping people?" Athena was rightfully baffled.
"I'd say it's more like... uhh, trying to garner attention. For the cause, of course." As Mai made her 'correction', Yuri was back by her side, coming out of the crash/burn with just a slight limp.
Athena then asked, "And how did that work out for you?"
"Well..." Mai replied, "We almost got Malin in because of it, but she pulled a knife on us."
"Tried to stab me in the butt," Yuri added.
Mai followed up, "And then we tried it on Angel when we went south from Southtown, and in short, Yuri learned about how hospitals in Mexico operated."
Yuri waved her right arm, revealing a cast wrapped from hand to forearm.
"So yeah, it's gone to... pretty much crap real fast, actually," ultimately admitted Mai, the desperate Women's Team veteran.
Yet, despite hearing what was basically effort being put into the wrong ideas in terms of getting a team together, Athena wasn't fully turned off on the idea of having to share space with these two.
The 'Psycho Soldier' sighed.
"Let me guess – Andy stood you up again, and Ryo wanted King on the Kyokugenryu team?"
Yuri blinked. "How'd you...?"
"I'd say it's because I can read minds, but I didn't even need that to figure out what your problems were. You're desperate, I can get behind that..." Athena itched against the shortened locks of her hair. "...and since I don't have any easier options to fall back on..."
Mai sprung up straight. "Wait – does that mean you're in?!"
"Only if you promise you'll stop trying to attack people," Athena said.
"It's not attac—*smack!*" Yuri was promptly gut-elbowed back into silence.
"We'll stop," Mai answered.
Athena had deep hope she wasn't going to regret this decision, especially after nearly getting tackled.
"I'll try to make this work."
She then spread her arms. "Ring it in, girls."
Cue Mai and Yuri's bodies immediately sandwiching both sides of the idol in a big ol' best-friend hug – this was the moment Athena Asamiya understood that her collaboration was for sure a sink-or-swim situation.
…
Meanwhile, literally across the street from where the newly-completed team was embracing each other, at a rivaling hangout, another trio was watching on – one that Mai and Yuri were on high-alert against in earlier weeks...
Handling a nice cocktail with care in her durable hands, Vanessa's smile was half-curved in intrigue. "So these are supposed to be our 'rivals', huh?"
Blue Mary leaned outwards against her secret-agent friend. "I guess the fliers must've helped a little bit after all. Either that or they just got lucky if they managed to get Athena on board.
"Hmhmhmhm..." The third of 'Secret Agents', the enigmatic Luong reclined her long legs against the table. "Looks like they might be looking to really start stealing heart."
As it turned out, the beautiful 'arms-race' was far from one-sided after all...
Finally, the Women's Team in XV has actual CLOSURE!
Now to figure out who that big flexin' silhouette is in next week's upcoming reveal. Maybe I'll get another idea out of that.
