AN: For those wondering about my other stories, don't worry. Updates are on the way and I'm only posting this now because I got it done early.
Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. Let me just say that it's been YEARS since I last watched Wrestling and my knowledge about how the business works is very casual and second hand. So if there's anyone out there more knowledgeable than I am, feel free to correct me.
CHAPTER 02: A Secret Tryout
It was a no-brainer that as the head of Wayne Enterprise, Bruce had seen the inside of many establishments, corporations and companies but Final Destination Wrestling was an entirely new experience for him.
The person in charge was Promoter and CEO Nick Callaghan, an older man with slicked back graying hair and a decently buff body from his former wrestling days.
He was crass, full of himself and didn't have much of a conversation filter, different from the usual top brass that Bruce deals with.
From what he read about him, Nick was born in a poor Irish family and was supposedly an illegitimate son of a wrestler from the 50s named 'Bobo the Bruiser'. Despite his circumstances, Nick idolized his father enough to follow in his footsteps but was mostly involved in the old mafia-run operations here in Gotham.
Those experiences shaped his ambitions of running his own promotion and he hasn't looked back since. He was an opportunistic businessman through and through...something that Bruce was counting on.
"I already see you and I being long term friends, Bruce." Callaghan expressed, lost in his own grand vision.
"Lemme level with you...Deals, partners and hookers have come and gone in my office but you and I? I truly feel we have a connection."
"You don't say?" Bruce asked, swallowing his own skepticism.
"I mean it! We have so much in common! We're not like those other stuck-up fat cats here in Gotham. We're made of stronger stuff. Bled and broke ourselves for our own businesses. I respect that in a man and there's few whom Nick Callaghan respects!"
"This is the first I've heard someone peg me like that but I'm honored that you think so highly of me." Bruce chuckled.
He then heard the sound of the door swinging open behind him and turned himself to see two people entering the office.
At the lead was an attractive brunette woman smartly dressed in a red dress suit with pointed shoulders, a yellow hairband which pushed back long flowing hair that went past her shoulders and her green eyes was fiercely framed by a pair of rectangular glasses.
Behind her was a man dressed in a casual checked shirt. typing away with what Bruce assumed was an iPad. He had a much thinner frame with a short beard and his messy blond hair tied back in a 'man-bun'.
"Ah, there she is. D'fuck took you so long, Suger-tits!?" Callaghan snapped with impatience.
The woman shot him a dirty look, obviously not pleased by that remark, and then fired back.
"If you'd take the time to get your head out of your own ass, Nick, you'd know that some of us have to plan cards for next month! I can't just drop everything just to see what hair-brained scheme you've come up with this time!"
Her short tirade paused when she noticed who was sitting opposite Nick's desk.
"Oh." she uttered in mild surprise.
"Hello there." Bruce greeted as he stood.
"Estelle, meet the one and only Bruce Wayne!" Nick introduced them. "Bruce, this is our booker, Estel Castrillo. She's one the few woman bookers in the biz. Don't underestimate her though, Estelle's tough as nails and can have an iron grip your nuts tighter than a desperate squirrel!"
"Um, that's some interesting analogy." Bruce commented with a grimace as he shook Estel's hand.
Nick's cheery disposition morphed to weary annoyance as he introduced the other person.
"The little simp behind her is Todd Druckenmiller, our lead writer. Todd's been around the block with credits in television and video games. He basically works with Estelle to help come up with the angles."
"Angles?" asked Bruce as he shook Todd's hand.
"Storylines." Todd clarified, his voice sounding almost mousy.
"Feuds, backstage drama, that kind of stuff. It's an honor to meet you Mister Wayne. You may not remember but I took part in that writing competition you sponsored for the Gotham University a couple of years ago, didn't even get 4th place."
Bruce wasn't sure what to say to that.
"I'm...sorry it didn't work out." was his decided reply.
Luckily, Todd didn't seem offended.
"Oh, don't be. I realized then that I wasn't cut out for things like prose and dialogue. Plot and scenarios are more my forte."
"It's about his only forte!" Nick laughed. "Todd's scripts have to go through me and Estelle before we decide on it. Or else he'll turn the place into a damn clown-fest."
"Anyway..." Estelle interrupted with a huff. "What's all this about, Nick? Are we doing some kind of charity event for the Wayne Foundation? Some kind of publicity promo stunt?
"Even better." Nick grinned and then pulled up a stack of papers in front of her.
"Bruce here has just signed a one year contract with us!"
In shock, Estelle's faced slacked from its hardness, with her jaw falling and her eyes widening behind her glasses. She quickly grabbed the papers from Nick and flipped through them in a state of disbelief.
"You're joking." she said.
"Oh, paper don't lie, sweetheart. You're looking at the newest addition to our ever growing family!"
The woman's eyebrow twitched with warning before she exploded in a fit of outrage as she stabbed a finger at the contract multiple times.
"Are you out of your damn mind!? You didn't think to let me know when making decisions like this!? Last time I checked, I'm the one who books talent around here!"
Nick narrowed his eyes and raised himself up to assert his authority.
"And last time I checked, I'm the head honcho of this company! And my need for your approval is about as much as syphilis from a crack whore!"
Bruce looked on awkwardly as the two of them engaged in a loud argument. To his side, he noticed that Todd was deliberately ignoring them with a tired expression while typing something on his Pad.
"Are these two always like this?" he asked.
"You have no idea." Todd sighed. "Don't worry, they actually have an understanding between them. Despite how he acts, Miss Castrillo sees Mister Callaghan as hopeless child and Mister Callaghan keeps her around, well, for obvious reason. It's kind of like twisted mother and son relationship if you think about it."
Bruce wasn't sure if he wanted to.
It registered to him that Nick, Estelle and, to some degree, Todd were technically at the top of FDW's chain of command. At least that's what it appeared to be. He wondered if any of them were involved in Wolf's death.
Todd didn't seem likely since Nick indicated that he didn't have as much pull. The impression that Bruce had of Nick was that the man was quite immature yet has grand ambitions...but would he be the kind of man that would be in league with the Owls?
And then there was Estelle. She was an unknown factor and Bruce made a mental note that he needed to keep an eye on her.
"We can't put Wayne in the ring!" Estelle argued.
"Sure we can!" Nick argued back. "If they can have David Arquette, Stephen Amell and fuckin' Robocop then we sure as hell can have Bruce Wayne!
"Who's Stephen Amell?" Bruce internally asked.
Estelle sighed while rubbing her forehead before she tried again to reason with the CEO.
"Celebrity guest stints are fine, Nick. But this is a one year contract! You can't expect our boys and girls to carry him all the way just because he put in a huge investment!"
"Who said anything about carrying? Have you seen this man in the gym? He's HUGE! Built like a ton of bricks!" laughed Nick.
The woman booker crossed her arms as she spoke mockingly.
"Yes, we all know about your obsession with big men."
That got a chuckle out of Todd who immediately clammed up after seeing Nick intensely glare at him.
"I know what you're thinking, Estelle but Wayne's no hoss. He says he has a long martial arts background."
"That's doesn't mean anything."
Bruce could see that this back and forth between Nick and Estelle was going nowhere and so decided to step in and make his case.
"Miss Castrillo, if I may..."
Estelle halted from engaging Nick and turned her attention towards Bruce.
"I'm fully aware of the dangers and commitment that comes with the sport and I am capable of juggling the responsibilities that come with my company as I've done for years. I've wouldn't have agreed to one year if I didn't." Bruce said.
The stern woman didn't looked convinced and took a step towards him.
"And what do you get out of it, Mister Wayne? Why are you interested in a career here?"
Bruce shrugged with an innocent smile.
"Boredom mostly."
Estelle raised an eyebrow at him.
"Does there need to be any other reason?" Bruce asked. "I've done it all, Miss Castrillo. Racecar driving, Mountain climbing...
"So you're just looking to add Pro Wrestling to your personal resume now?" she asked with doubt laced in her voice.
"Pretty much. Think of it like a drawn out PR operation, we could both use the promotion."
"And that's where my problem is! You don't get it, do you?"
Bruce flashed her a questioning look and she took it as a cue to elaborate.
"We have Baby faces but you? You're like the ultimate Baby face in this city. People here respect you. If we bust you up, then it's a bad look for us but if you 'go over' then people will think you paid us off, which you pretty much did!"
"I have an idea." Todd spoke.
"For the last time, Todd..." Nick cut in with a sigh. "We're not doing your stupid golf club idea."
"No, that's not it. Why don't we just mask him?"
Todd felt the room go silent as Estelle and Nick turned to him in surprise while Bruce followed their gaze curiously.
"What?" asked Estelle.
"We put a mask on him, make him a mystery man and have him work his way up. That way the audience won't have any preconceived notions about him." Todd explained.
The lead writer took his explanation a step further by exaggeratedly acting out with over-the-top voice impressions and hand movements.
"They'll be like 'Who dis guy?' and then we'll have him feud against someone who'll rip his mask off at the end of the match. Everyone freaks out! 'WHAAAT!?' 'Baw Gawd, King! that's Bruce Wayne!' 'I don't believe it, GR!'."
Nick laughed and clapped his hands like a gleeful kid.
"Goddamn! I love the way this cuck thinks sometimes! We could put him against Hooded Hangman*! Make it an unmasking match!"
"Hangman!? You want to match him up with one of our top talents!? I promised Hangman a title shot!" Estelle protested.
"And he'll get his title. Remember, Wayne's the one getting unmasked. Come on Estelle, think of the ratings!"
Nick's voice grew raspier as he rubbed his fingers with glee.
Estelle grasped her lower mouth in contemplation and then began to pace around the room. It seemed she was deeply considering this 'proposition'. She then stopped and shot a scrutinizing look towards Bruce.
"You okay with a mask, Wayne?"
"I guess I could try to get used to it." Bruce said coyly.
"Alright, but I have two conditions!" she finally said as she stepped towards him with a pointed finger.
"One is that you'll wear a mask and keep your in-ring persona separate from your regular life. The public can never know about your involvement with us until we decide the big reveal. You may think this is all fun and games but here, Kayfabe is sacrosanct! Break the rules and we're liable to sue. Got that!?"
Bruce scratched his hair with a wry smile.
"A double life as well? Hoo boy, that sounds tough but I'll try my best. And your other condition?" he asked.
Within the FDW complex was a 'Performance Center' and unlike its usual days, it was devoid of the energy and bustle from the coaches and practicing athletes. That was because today's event would a private tryout match.
The three heads of the company sat at a table positioned a distance from the practice ring like how commentators would. Normally a tryout would involve some spectators and at least few crew members to see how well the new talent could work up the crowd. But in this case, it was just them.
Bruce assumed that because of the secret nature of their deal, Nick and Estelle probably wanted to keep the circle of trust as small as possible.
He was already in the ring and was outfitted in a simple lime green singlet with wrist bands, knee pads and boots.
"Now Wayne, I'm sure that you already know the rules. This is scheduled for one fall: get pinned on the count of three, tap out from submission or counted out of the ring, the match is over. Basic stuff. Any questions?" Estelle asked.
"I notice there's no referee in here." Bruce said, facing towards the three 'judges' with his elbows resting casually on the ropes.
Nick grinned at this.
"Don't you worry none. We'll be overseeing the match so you can consider us as the referees. 'Sides, our boy and girls have experiences in solo and exhibition matches that most of them don't even need babysitting."
Todd just nodded, tapping away at his pad and not really paying attention. Bruce wondered why Nick and Estelle bothered bringing him at all.
"We're just here to see how well you can handle yourself in the ring but more importantly, I'm not taking any chances of this getting out." Estelle said sternly. "The only other person in the know will be your opponent."
Bruce smirked coyly. He assumed it was probably one of their older veterans, the kind they use to whip rookies into shape and who's loyalty has earned them enough pull in the company. A potential suspect perhaps?
"You must put a lot trust in this person to keep such a dirty little secret. Speaking of, I notice he's not here either."
And right on cue, Bruce felt the ring shake as someone landed behind him.
"Yeeeeah! I'm gonna totally make this look cool!" sounded a slightly hoarse feminine voice.
His eyes widened in surprise and he whipped around to see not an old veteran like he was expecting but a young Japanese woman.
She had long blonde hair tied into a pair of twin tails that extended towards her hips, complimented by cyan blue eyes framed by a band-like eye mask of the same color.
The cyan and white color scheme continued to her costume which looked like a one-piece bathing suit in the style of a 'monokini' with a heart shaped cleavage window and white frills at the end of her sleeves, her collar and around her thong area.
Of course the costume hugged her frame which was curvy yet muscular, particularly around her thighs and buttocks which Bruce noted was quite... pronounced, in addition to her sizable bust.
" 'Sup? Guess I'm fighting you today, huh?" she greeted with a friendly grin and raised palm.
Despite Bruce staring in a bewildered state, she psyched herself up with both her fists pumped and her legs spread.
"Well, give it all you got! My soul burns with determination hotter than a hundred suns!"
The blonde wrestler continued her speech while striking different poses.
"My muscles...shine brighter than a million stars! And my spirit is as vibrant as...a...RAINBOW!" she finished with a loud yell and a finger pointed upwards.
"What on earth is she blabbering about?" Bruce asked himself in annoyance.
He turned around and addressed the three officials.
"I think there's been some kind of mistake."
The cyan clad girl comically flinched like someone just doused her with cold water.
"Wha!? What do mean mistake!?" she reacted with outrage. "Who do the hell you think you are?!"
"Oh there's no mistake." Estelle said with her legs crossed and her lips in an evil smirk. "Rainbow Mika is one of our up and coming talents and I trust her enough to keep things quiet."
"But you don't really expect me to wrestle her, do you?" Bruce asked with a finger pointed back.
"Hey! Quit blowin' me off!" Mika yelled behind him.
"Of course we do. Here in FDW, we specialize in mixed matches." Estelle responded calmly.
Bruce noticed, from the corner of his eye, Mika taking a few aggressive steps towards him and turned to her.
"Yeah! What? You don't think I'm not good enough or somethin'!? Punk ass!?" Mika rounded on him.
"I was just expecting a more conventional and tougher opponent, that's all." Bruce responded in defense.
Mika's jaw dropped in disbelief before she clinched her fists, grit her teeth and marched up to him with a growl.
"What did you just say to me!? GRRRR..."
"Uh oh..." Nick commented with an incredulous yet amused expression.
Bruce considered that perhaps he chose the wrong kind of wording. In a way, he felt that he was dealing with a female version of Bass Armstrong...a concept he'd rather not think about.
"Look, Miss...um, Rainbow." he spoke carefully with both his palms up. "I'm sure you're skilled in your unique way but I was-"
Without warning, Mika suddenly grabbed his hand, spun and threw him towards the ropes behind her! Bruce found himself bounced back towards her, unable to control his momentum.
"BOMBERRRRRR!"
Mika yelled as she launched herself at him, butt first. Her huge globular cheeks smacked hard against the side of his face which contorted upon impact and sent spit flying from his lips. As his body was sent landing against the canvas, Bruce internally admitted that despite the unusual method, she hits pretty hard.
But Mika wasn't done with him yet. Taking advantage of his supine state, she hooked Bruce's legs under both her arms and spun him around similar to a 'Giant's Swing'.
"Hora!" she yelled and released him, sending him crashing his back against the turn buckle.
"Staring off with the Shooting Peach AND Rainbow Typhoon? Oh yeah, she's pissed!" laughed Nick.
Bruce winced as he slid down against the ring corner while Mika jeered at him with a pointed finger.
"How's THAT for conventional!?"
The cyan-clad wrestler then turned to the three officials.
"Hey Estelle, who is this jabroni, anyway?" Mika asked.
"Never mind that now, Mika." Estelle said with a satisfied grin. "How about we raise the stakes a little? Winner of this match gets a title shot!"
This definitely got Mika's attention and she ran up to the ropes towards the where the Lady-Booker sat. Like an excited little girl, she grabbed the top rope, leaning over and hopped in place.
"Wait, really? A title shot!? Ooh! As in FDW Champion!?" she asked in hopeful zeal.
"You'll just have to beat him and find out."
With a wide grin of her face, Mika turned around and advanced towards Bruce who just pulled himself up at the turn buckle while groaning and in a daze.
"Heh. Sorry about this, jabroni." she said while smacking her fist in her palm. "But I'm aiming for the top and nobody's gonna stop me!
With that statement, Mika rushed in and hits him with clothesline then hooks her other arm around his head while turning around to hold him in a headlock.
Bruce's head was secured tightly under her armpit and the side of her boob was smooshed up against his face.
"Daydream Headlock!"
She yelled with a finger pointed skyward in the air before jumping forward and slamming his face to the canvas.
She rolled and got up quickly while Bruce seemed to struggle picking himself up, that didn't deter her from running up the top rope and performing a moonsault and landing on top of him, followed by scooping his leg for the pin.
One...Two...
But Bruce kicked out.
Mika was surprised but glad that he had some fight in him, she would've been disappointed if it had been too easy. They both picked themselves up and began to circle each other.
Bruce shook himself out of his daze and appeared to go on the offensive with a lariat but it was easily telegraphed and Mika ducked under it and slipped behind him before executing her 'Brimstone' move where she lifts him up from behind, over her shoulders and then slams him into the ground.
From there, the match continued on in a one-sided manner where Bruce was most of the time at the receiving end of Mika's moves. She at first thought it was quite pathetic.
But then it was during that time when Mika noticed something off about him; he looked winded and in pain but his eyes didn't seem to reflect that. In fact, he looked totally focused...like a totally different person.
"Huh. Weird." Mika thought.
The two grappled each other in the collar-and-elbow position and Mika found his face close to hers. She had wrestled with plenty of guys and Bruce was just another but perhaps her curiosity was getting the better of her and she found her own eyes locked with his, trying to figure him out.
"Why do I feel like there's something more to this guy?" she wondered.
She dismissed that thought as an idea came to her mind. With an internal snicker, she decided that now was a good time to bust out a new technique she'd been working on to add to her move-set.
It was actually one of her old moves that she modified, she figured that she might score some points with Estelle, that is if Estelle was keeping score of anything.
With that plan in mind, Mika pulled Bruce's head down and slung her right leg over his neck before pivoting her body and hooking her other leg around his head, trapping him in a head scissor!
"Mmph!" came Bruce's voice, muffled by her thighs and crotch.
With her body upside down and facing towards him, she flipped him down on the canvas with her thighs still gripping his head as she sat up.
When she was done, Mika was basically sitting on his face! She even took it a step further by leaning over in a psuedo-sixty-nine position while keeping his head locked between her legs, with one arm wrapped around one of his legs and the other hand holding the toe of her boot.
"Hey Estelle! Whadaya think of this move!? I call it the Reverse Paradise Hold!" Mika called out cheerfully.
Bruce would call it 'uncomfortably awkward'.
With Mika's barely covered thighs around his head like a vice, his sight was treated to a view of her twin round fleshy hills separated by the valley of her butt crack traveling towards his nose which in turn, took in her natural scent.
And to make matters worse: with how skintight Mika's costume was, Bruce could feel a certain kind of contour down in her nether regions.
"Don't tell me this woman isn't wearing anything under her costume!?" he mentally balked
He was glad that at least his arms were free and that allowed him some degree of movement and so, with his forearms and elbows he managed to crawl backward and slowly drag them both towards the ropes.
Mika was surprised by his strength and thought he was going just initiate a 'rope break' but instead he used the ropes to pull and prop himself up to a stand with her still holding on to him.
"What is he doing?...No, wait...he not actually gonna...?" Mika wondered in astonished anticipation.
But he was. As he stood Bruce wrapped his arms around her mid section while Mika wrapped hers around his waist while gulping in dread.
He jumped, landed and performed a deadly looking Tombstone Piledriver.
"N-no way! He actually reversed my Paradise Hold!"
Mika's mind was running circles as she fell flat on her back, Bruce went for the cover but she kicked out after the second count. She staggered to a stand with her hand on the back of her neck but truth be told, her neck was actually fine.
"I thought he was gonna botch it up but he pulled off that Tombstone flawlessly. Who is this guy? There's no way he's an amateur." she thought.
She decided to try a different approach and then ran towards the ropes, bounced back while launching herself into another Shooting Peach.
"Well whatever! I'm not gonna let him do it again!"
With a yell, she flew towards Bruce butt first.
But then she felt no impact.
"Did I miss?" she wondered. But then she also realized that she hasn't even landed, like she was still in mid-air. In fact, she noticed that she was higher up than usual. She looked down and found out why: She was sitting atop of Bruce's shoulders.
"What the-!?" she exclaimed.
Bruce had actually ducked under her Shooting Peach and intercepted her by thrusting his head up between her legs and grabbing them.
He held up her up for another two seconds before lifting her up by her thighs and then pushed her forward and down while falling in a sitting position, his torso between her legs and her chest slamming on the canvas.
"A reversal into an Electric Chair Facebuster!? How!?" thought Mika, flabbergasted.
The match began to take a surprising turn for Mika.
When previously it appeared one-sided, now it seemed that Bruce was not only fighting more competently but was showing excellent technique and versatility. He was even executing moves that Mika had only heard about, and without causing much harm to her.
It puzzled her. If he was this talented, why didn't he show it before? Why act so amateurishly in the beginning?
When they had again locked into the collar-and-elbow position, she decided to go ahead and ask him.
"Hey what's with you anyway?" she whispered. "You were letting yourself get your ass whooped and now all of a sudden you're pulling off those cool moves."
"Isn't making it look good part of Pro Wrestling 101?" he whispered back.
"Huh?"
The two of them appeared to fight for dominance, moving back and forth across the ring, during which they continued to converse discreetly.
"Consider what this match is really about." Bruce said. "It's obvious that Miss Castrillo doesn't think too highly of me and I don't think it has anything to do with my abilities. I think she just wants to see if I can take a beating, especially with you pulling out all the stops."
"Wait, does that mean you were trying to piss me off on purpose?" Mika asked.
"I would've done the same for anyone. But truth be told, you really were not what I expected my opponent to be. Which got me thinking, I suspect that it's not just me they're evaluating."
Mika glanced to the side noticed the way Nick and Estelle were whispering to each other seriously while taking note. Both their eyes were specifically on her.
She began to feel nervous, was this why Estelle called her? Mika didn't want to believe it and assumed that her opponent was just trying to psyche her out.
"Well, there's more to Wrestling than just taking a beating." she said turning her narrowed gaze back to him.
"Oh, I know." Bruce replied as the corner of his lips curled slyly.
Using his hand that was over her elbow, Bruce suddenly shifted it below her arm and shoved it upwards, making her lose her grip as he slid behind her.
Within that second, Mika knew that he was going for a Full Nelson, she had been through the motions enough times to see it coming miles away.
"I don't think so!" she mentally declared.
Out of pure reflex, she elbowed him hard from behind and caught him off guard; making his grip slide from her neck and upsetting the trajectory of his other arm.
Unfortunately, this resulted in Bruce's hands gripping something else.
MUNYU~!
They both froze as Bruce found both his hands full of Mika's large breasts.
"Ahaha! Nice job there, Wayne!" Nick laughed in a hearty way and applauded while Estelle and Todd rolled their eyes.
Mika's lips squiggled in a state of fluster and her face went red behind her mask. Bruce on the other hand, couldn't help but notice that his fingers brushed against a small protrusion, the kind would unmistakably be located at the end of person's bosom.
"Yup. She definitely isn't wearing anything underneath." Bruce confirmed to himself.
It wasn't what he was going for but he figured that he might as well take advantage of her stunned state and so he released his grip before locking his hands at the back of her neck.
With Mika now caught in a Full Nelson, Bruce arced himself backwards and lifted her in a Dragon Suplex. Mika was released mid-arc and thrown on the canvas, shoulders first.
Bruce then easily kipped himself back up on feet before approaching his still downed opponent. He picked up both her legs and stepped his own leg between them before wrapping them around it at shin level and then turning her on her front while he was in a sitting position.
Mika knew exactly what this was. In her own homeland, it was known as the Sasori-Gatame, nowadays it's known as the Sharpshooter.
The cyan-clad blonde groaned through grit teeth as Bruce leaned back.
"Feel free to submit." she heard Bruce say.
"Y-yeah right!" she strained.
With determination, Mika valiantly crawled towards the ropes and dragged Bruce along.
"There's a passion that burns in my heart! the passion to realize my dream!" Mika grunted loudly with each crawl.
She reached her hand out dramatically as she continued to her speech.
"It reverberates into my muscle soul! With my strength, determination, and spirit, I'll become as bright as a-Okay! I'm tapping! I'm tapping! End the match already!"
Mika had reached her limits and banged her palm on the canvas rapidly.
The wasn't any need for the bell to ring as the three 'referees' stood from their seats.
"Well Estelle, I think that about settles it." Nick said with a smug grin.
Estelle just frowned and then called out to Bruce.
"Alright Wayne, you can let go of her! Meet us down here so we can talk."
Mika felt relief as Bruce released her legs and stood up. She heard his footsteps traveling away towards the end of the ring as she pushed herself up on her knees and rubbed her lower back lightly.
As she continued to rub, she gazed back towards him; her expression was one of awe and a blush graced her cheeks.
"So, Miss Castrillo, did I pass?"
Bruce asked in an impish manner as he passed himself through the ropes and climbed down in front of the Lady-Booker.
"Yes, I suppose that was adequate enough." Estelle said begrudgingly.
"Adequate nothing! That was awesome!"
Both Bruce and Estelle turned their attention back towards the ring to see Mika pull on the top ropes like a slingshot and then fling herself over it to land next to them. Her bight blue eyes were literally sparkling with excitement and her cheeks rosy as she zipped up him, making him take a step back in surprise.
"You gotta tell me EVERYTHING! Who's your trainer!? What's your workout regimen!? Which Promotion have you worked at!?" Mika gushed.
"Errm..."
Mika drew back and chuckled while scratching her hair sheepishly.
"Oh, right. Hehe. I didn't exactly catch your name. My name is Mika Nanakawa, what's yours?"
Todd looked up from his pad in disbelief.
"Don't you recognize who he is? That's Bruce Wayne." he said.
"Errr...who?" Mika asked, tilting her head innocently.
Estelle smacked a palm to her face and then tried to clue her in with an exasperated tone.
"Bruce Wayne? As in GOTHAM'S billionaire Bruce Wayne!?"
The cyan-clad blonde looked on in confusion for several seconds until she finally raised a finger in realization.
"Oh, yeah..." she trailed her voice. "You're that rich guy that Karin talks about sometimes."
"Karin?" Bruce wondered.
"Huh, weird. I always imagined you were some stuffy peacock or something." Mika shrugged.
"Most people do." he said with a smile.
Then to his surprise, Mika glanced downwards with a sad smile while she put her hands behind her back and lightly kicked the floor in disappointment.
"But anyway, congratulations for winning that title shot. I guess I still got a lot to learn, huh?"
Bruce was honestly starting to feel a little guilty. He knew his mission was to infiltrate this company and find out about Wolf's murder, as well as Tina's whereabouts. But on the other hand, he did kind of stepped on the poor girl's dreams.
"Well, I'm glad you two are warming up to each other because technically, you both win." Estelle spoke up.
Bruce flashed her a questioning look.
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, what do you mean?" asked Mika.
"I mean, you're now Tag-Team partners."
The proclamation left a long dead silence in its wake, until Mika finally broke it.
"EEEEEEEEEHHHH!?"
She then fanned her arms out with upright palms in a gesture of refusal.
"No way! Nuh-uh! Not happening! My partner is Nadeshiko!"
Nick stepped forward with an uncharacteristic stern face.
"With her performance lately, not anymore she ain't!"
"Wha!?" Mika gasped.
Estelle sighed and rubbed her forehead while also adjusting her glasses.
"He's right, Mika. You know as well I do that Yamato-san has been slowing down lately." she said.
"Oh, come on! It's just a little injury! A little rest and a little training and she'll be at a hundred and two percent in no time!"
Bruce had intended to voice his own opinion on the matter but that little tidbit from Mika piqued his interest and so he listened in quietly.
"It's way more than that, kid." Nick said. "The crowd loves ya, you got the mic skills and that bubble ass so you know how to work 'em."
"Hey!" Mika cried in outrage regarding the 'bubble ass' bit but Nick continued.
"But Nadeshiko just ain't cutting it."
Sensing that things might get a little out hand, Estelle stepped between the two.
"Nick, let me handle this." she interjected. "Look Mika, Todd and I have already worked it out. We'll book you guys in one last match together, you both go down at the end of the match, then you pull a hard turn on her and we take her out on a stretcher."
"So what? That's it!? You're just gonna send her out like that!?"
"It's nothing like that. Think of it as her taking a much needed break. You're aware that the more we push her, the worse her condition will be, right?"
An alarm sounded off in Bruce's mind and his eyes narrowed. This whole conversation about Nadeshiko raised a huge red flag for him and it was all because what he remembered about Bass's story.
First, Bass noticed that the wrestlers of FDW never seem to go on hiatus after injury. Yet here was Mika's partner Nadeshiko, who was now was set to take an extended break. Second, he recalled what Wolf said to Bass before he was killed: about some of the wrestlers mysteriously disappearing.
Then again, this information was coming from Bass Armstrong. Bruce did consider that maybe it shouldn't be taken at face value.
Or maybe, Yamato Nadeshiko was being...targeted.
"I guess..." Mika glanced down and agreed with a sad bleat.
But then her eyes widened and her head shot back up.
"Wait, did you say 'turn'? You're making me turn Heel!?"
"Is that a problem?" Estelle asked with a frown.
Honestly, for Mika, it wasn't. She was passionate about everything in the Pro Wrestling biz and was willing to function outside her comfort zone. Besides, her idol and mentor was the legendary Zangief and he was known to play Heel roles from time to time.
"Um, no. I think I can work with that. But at least let me go solo. I'm totally good for it!" she pleaded.
"I'm inclined to agree with her, Miss Castrillo." Bruce spoke up. "I don't see any reason why we need to be grouped together. Wasn't the idea that I would eventually face Hangman? I was under the impression that it would be in a singles match."
Mika looked at him in shock. She knew of Hooded Hangman's popularity and was surprised that Bruce was promised a match with him.
"That's a long term plan, Bruce." said Nick as he patted his back. "Don't fret, you just leave the details to us."
Bruce frowned as he glanced towards Nick who sported a toothy grin. Though the tone sounded friendly, Bruce had a feeling that anything he said at this point was simply not up for debate.
He assumed that this arrangement with Mika was their way of putting a leash on him or maybe even both of them. It made the situation all too clear that he was past the point of no return.
"As for you..." Estelle addressed Mika with a stern expression. "You're 'good for it' when I say you are. Or do you want to be stuck a mid-carder forever?"
"I...um..." Mika trailed off before hanging her head in defeat. "Yes ma'am."
"Good. Wayne, I'm sure you can make time to see me in my office tomorrow. Mika, you too. Come along, Todd."
Estelle gestured Todd to follow as she turned to leave and he obediently followed her.
"I'll be off too. Sponsors to meet and all that." said Nick. "Wanna come along Wayne, maybe do lunch later?"
"No thanks. I'll just see myself out." Bruce responded.
"Whatever you say. Great doin' business with you!"
With that, the three of them made their way towards the exit, leaving Bruce and a perplexed Mika behind.
"How did I get myself into this?" she groaned wearily.
Bruce mentally asked himself the same question.
TBC
AN:
*For those who don't know, Hooded Hangman is a minor silver age Batman villain and wrestler who appeared in Detective Comics #355. He also made a cameo appearance in Superman/Batman #70.