Chapter 9

Sayuri Rogue worked on the paperwork in her office. She sighed with boredom. This is the one part of being a promoter that she didn't really enjoy. But she had a project and she was willing to get to it.

Sayuri stopped when the door opened and Ryuji Hashimoto took a step in.

"Ms. Rogue, your interviewees are here."

"Thank you, Ryuji. Send the first one in." Sayuri pulled out a manilla folder with some papers inside.

The door opened up revealing the first woman, an African-American woman with brown hair. She had on a white T-shirt and a blue jacket. She had on a pair of blue workout shorts and red sneakers. The woman sat down across from the boss.

"You must be Zelda Griff." Sayuri said as she read over the first paper in front of her.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It says here that you've got a reputation at every combat academy you've been too. Apparently, you're not really a big fan of gimmicks."

"I'm not ashamed of it." Zelda explained. "After all, pro wrestling is a serious competition. And yet, half of the wrestlers I've heard of treat it like a circus with their colorful, over-the-top gimmicks. They refer to themselves by their nicknames. It's like they can't wrestle without them. Honestly, it sickens me."

"Then why are you here?" Sayuri asked.

"Because I love pro wrestling more than anything in the world. I want to prove that we can be a champion without the ridiculous costumes. I want to wrestle as myself and be proud for it."

"Hmm." Sayuri thought to herself. "A wrestler without a gimmick would be new to this company. And if she doesn't go too far, she could create the sort of rivalries that fans would pay tickets to see." She spoke. "All right, Ms. Griff."

"Really?" Zelda asked. "I'm in?"

"No. You just passed the interview." Sayuri gave Zelda a card with an address printed on it. "Come by here tomorrow at 10 am for a more practical part of the audition."

"Thank you, Ms. Rogue."

Zelda took the card then left. Shortly after, the next girl came in. She was slightly above average looking with black braided hair. She had on a gray hoodie with a zipper over her shirt.

"Jasper Jones." Sayuri greeted. "Tell me, why do you think you're qualified to be an Xtrema wrestler?"

"Simple. It's because of my past life."

Sayuri paused for a moment and stared at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"Right. I should probably explain. You see, I am the reincarnation of a strong warrior woman called Barbaria the Savage Queen who carried great strength in her quest for battle thousands of years ago."

…"Is that your gimmick or something?"

"No. It's really true." Jasper insisted. "I used to play as Barbaria when I was a kid. I always thought I just made her up. One day, I was ambushed by a mugger much bigger than me, like Bluto meets the Hulk big. He tried to take my stuff, and I reacted by giving him a good left hook and he fell over instantly. I knew because of that great strength I displayed that I those fantasies I had weren't fantasies at all. Barbaria was real and she lives within me."

Sayuri continued to stare. "Sure. Whatever you say."

"It's true. Every word. And I would have proved it at the Cell Games too had I only gotten there just an hour later."

"The Cell Games?" Sayuri recalled an event about 11 years earlier when the mysterious monster calling himself Cell had threatened to blow up the Earth unless someone could defeat him. The ending of the battle was never caught on camera, but the world believed it was done by the World Martial Arts Champion, Hercule Satan.

"Yeah." Jasper replied. "I was going to prove myself against him, but by the time I got there, he was already dead."

"You thought you could defeat a monster that took someone like Mr. Satan to beat?"

"Actually, that's the thing. I don't think Satan was the one to beat Cell."

"What?"

"You heard me. Don't let anyone else know, but I've been investigating what remains of that battle, and a lot of things didn't add up. That started a road of investigating conspiracies, specifically in the world of combat sports."

"You seriously think there are bigger things out there controlling combat sports?"

"Not exactly. I just know there are some strange things happening in that particular world. That's why I'm here. I need to get closer to the truth. For example…" She turns around like she's afraid someone was listening. "I think GWM has an illegal event called Hell in the Hole where some of their wrestlers die."

Sayuri sighed and thought to herself, "I wouldn't put it past them, but it still seems a bit farfetched. Still, if this nutjob is right, then maybe I could use her powers of investigation to good use should we come across a strange situation."

"All right then, Ms. Jones. I'll give you a shot."

Sayuri gave Jasper a card telling her to meet her there tomorrow at 4 pm. Jasper left and the third girl came in: an athletic woman with medium-sized, brown hair and blue eyes.

"Sam Hamilton, I presume." Sayuri said. "What brings you to Xtrema?"

"Well, I used to love going to comic conventions when I was a kid." Sam said. "One day, there was a wrestling event and it inspired me."

"Classic story." Sayuri said. "So what can you contribute?"

"Something unique. You see, I have this habit of cosplaying."

"Like in comic books?"

"And TV, movies, video games, real life, etc. I want to create a bit of fanservice by dressing up as those characters."

"Sounds like a potential enemy for Zelda." Sayuri thought. "Still, it does sound promising."

Sayuri gave Sam a card and told her to meet her in two days at 10 am. Sam left and Sayuri welcomed the fourth, a woman in a silver ask with platinum hair sticking out of it. She had on a black blazer over her athletic build.

"It says in your file that you wish to be called Platinum Mask." Sayuri said. "Nothing else, though."

"And I do wish to keep it that way." Platinum Mask said. "I prefer not to have anyone know who I really am."

"Mysterious." Sayuri said. "You know what, I have a good feeling about you, so I'll let you skip this interview and move along to the practical part."

"Practical part?"

"Just meet me in two days at 4 pm at this address." Sayuri said giving the card.

After Platinum Mask left, the next girl walked in taller than Sayuri. She had short, brown hair, very beefy arms, wore a leather, sleeveless corset and baggy cargo pants.

"You're a tall one." Sayuri commented. "Shop at the Big and Tall Store…" She looked at he papers. "Clover? Clover who?"

"Just Clover." The girl said in an Irish accent. "Never had a last name and I wouldn't trade my best drinks for one."

"I see." Sayuri said. "Apparently, you came under recommendation by Scarlette. She tells me you came from a bad place."

Clover sighed. "Kinda. I may have done some bad things in my past and I hated myself for it. Scarlette herself crossed my path and stopped me from doing something stupid. She brought me here as a way to reinvent my life… and kick some arse while I'm at it."

"I like that attitude." Sayuri said. "I…

Suddenly, the door slammed open. Diana Daz stomped in fuming from her mouth and nostrils. Hashimoto came right after.

"Ms. Rogue, I am so sorry." Hashimoto said. "I tried to stop her, but she threw me overhead with one arm."

"Ms. Diaz, this is highly inappropriate." Sayuri said. "We're having a talk."

"And now, I'm part of it. Hi."

"You." Clover said standing up to confront Diaz. "You're the muscle-head who made Scarlette look bad."

"I'm the muscle-head?" Diaz asked. "You're not exactly a scrawny leprechaun." Both woman pressed their foreheads against each other.

"Enough!" Sayuri said. She gave another card to the Irishwoman. "Look, Clover, meet me at this location in three days at 10 am."

"This isn't over." Clover said as she walked out of the office.

"What do you want, Diaz?" Sayuri asked.

"I want a match against Kaito Marx!" Diana demanded. "And I want it to be for the 24/7 Championship."

"If you want the belt that badly, then just hire a referee and challenge Kaito anywhere in the city. You don't need me for that. The whole point of the 24/7 Championship is to be challenged anywhere at any time."

"It's not enough. That runt tried to make me look bad. Me! The Dragon! I want it to be in the ring in front of a thousand people so I can set the record straight!"

"I see." Sayuri said rolling her eyes at the sound of Diana's pride. "Well, I'm afraid I can't do that."

"What? Why not?"

"I'm trying to be fair. You and he are several weight classes apart. It's like a chihuahua against a golden retriever. You're a juggernaut and you're most certainly champion level. Kaito Marx may be a champion now, but he's still labeled as a jobber."

"Then he shouldn't be a champion! That belt should be around my waist! It would be if he hadn't fallen on me when my guard was down! He just got lucky!"

"A win's a win. No asterisks. Look, if it'll make you feel better, I can set you up in another match at the next show. Non-title, of course."

Diana growled, but reluctantly accepted. "Who is it? Queen Bee?"

"No. After what she's been through on Gold Night, the doctor recommended her to stay out of the action for a couple of weeks until she recovers. No, the opponent I have for you isn't on the Xtrema roster. She's an independent wrestler traveling across the country. She's called Lady Kai."

"Fine. Whatever."

"Good. Now, if that's all…"

"Actually, it isn't." Diana interrupted. "You see, I couldn't help but catch the next woman you're going to interview. You should know that she has my full recommendation."

"What do you mean?" Sayuri asked.

The door opened up and Sayuri widened her eyes. A tall woman came in with long, pink hair. She had on a white top and blue cut-off shorts, a black cap, a black collar, and a pair of handcuffs hanging on her waist.

"Sayuri Rogue." The pink-haired woman said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Poison?" Sayuri asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you've heard of me. I'm touched. You see, I want to join Xtrema, and not only that, I wish to be Ms. Diaz' manager and partner."

"You're the partner?" Sayuri asked. "Why? I thought you were managing that big guy, Hugo."

"Times have changed." Poison said. "Unfortunately, the big lug had an accident in one of his matches and may not return to the ring soon. I need the money somehow, and when I saw Diana Diaz in her debut match, inspiration struck."

"So we had a deal." Diana said. "I help her in as my manager as long as she also becomes my partner for the tag team titles."

"Seems fair to me." Poison said. "So what do you say?"

Sayuri sighed. "Well, league rules say that any champion has a significant say over who joins Xtrema, and I don't really have the legal right to deny your request. Fine then." Sayuri pulled out another card and gave it to her. "Meet me at this address in three days at 4 pm."

"Pleasure doing business with you." Poison said. "See you in three days." She marched out with Diana.

"Well, one thing's for certain." Sayuri thought to herself. "The boring part of the day is over."

"HOOWEE!" Clementine exclaimed as she set her tray down on her table. She loved this Western-themed restaurant because of its all-you-can-eat buffet, which gave her the right to fill her plate with as many burgers as she wanted. "Now, those are some fat patties! Don't mind if I do!"

The cowgirl took one big bite to start her lunch. She took another and another until a familiar voice stopped her.

"Careful now. You wouldn't want to choke."

Clementine turned to the direction of the voice and smiled. It was a blonde woman in a black cap, a black jacket, a yellow top and shorts. She also had on a pair of black gloves and light-blue boots.

"Well, I'll be damned." Clementine chuckled. "If it ain't Tina Armstrong herself."

"May I?" Tina asked grabbing a table.

"Sure thing." Clementine allowed. "Haven't seen ya in years."

"Well, we've all been busy." Tina said taking her seat right across from Clementine.

"No kidding." Clementine said. "Wrestler. Actress. Supermodel. Rock star. And now, governor candidate? You've really been getting' around. Sometimes, I just think, 'Tina, you gotta stick with a thing'."

Tina groaned. "You sound like my daddy. And what about you? You finally found a wrestling show that likes your background."

"Right." Clementine said. "So many wrasslin' promotions turning me down because the 'cowgirl gimmick was getting' old'. Pfft. I was just about ready to give up, but then Sayuri Rogue's talent scouts gave me a call and now, I'm a fully Western wrestler."

"Good on ya." Tina said. "I actually came to check out your matches. After I heard you landed, I thought I'd check it out for myself."

"Ah, shucks. You're making me blush."

"You know, I think you made the right choice. Xtrema does seem like a better fit for you than WWE."

"Oh, man, I've been trying to forget WWE."

"So have I."

"You're just sayin' that 'cause I kicked your butt." Clementine teased.

"Technically, you defeated Dixie in that triple threat match." Tina defended. "You never actually beat me. In fact, what say we settle it?"

"You know me." Clementine said. "I never back down from a challenge." She then remembered… "Oh, horse applesauce. I forgot, the next match card already has a guest wrassler."

"So?" Tina asked.

"League rules say only one guest per night." Clementine said. "How long are ya gonna be in Japan?"

"Well, I am booked for a couple of months. So perhaps another match night."

"Sounds good. And hey, got an idea, how about a warm up tomorrow? Xtrema Arena does have this gym that comes with its own practice ring. If you'd like we could have a friendly spar there before I ask Ms. Rogue for a public match."

"That can work." Tina said. "See ya tomorrow." Tina took a burger and walked out leaving Clementine with an over-dramatic gasp expression.

"Oh, no, you didn't." she joked. "She who takes a cowgirl's burger must pay."

"Ninety… five." Thunder Mana counted each push Carly X made with her barbell. Thunder Mana was in casual workout clothes and trunks while Carly X was wearing black sports bra and shorts (similar to Miss X's workout gear).

"Ninety… six."

"Ninety… seven."

"Ninety… eight."

"Ninety… nine."

"One hundred!"

And like that, Carly put the barbell back on its prop and she took deep breaths sitting back up. She grabbed a water bottle and took a big gulp.

"How are you feeling?" Thunder asked.

"I feel like I could do about twenty more." Carly answered.

"Don't strain yourself. Believe me. That's how I ended up here."

"Yeah, we all know the story."

"I wouldn't take it so lightly, kid. I was lucky to survive my defense match in GWM. I was in physical therapy for a year, and by the time I was ready to get back in the ring, Miss X told me she wasn't convinced. I joined this company to prove her wrong."

"Speaking of whom," Carly said as she grabbed a towel and started drying off her sweat, "What's she like?"

"She's your mother."

"I haven't talked to her in years. Come on. Give some inside scoop. I need to know what'll get her attention."

Thunder Mana sighed before she gave in.

"Your mother—Miss X—wasn't the easiest woman to get along with. I was at the top of the diva's division because I understood the balance of what I needed. If I did too much of what Miss X said, the crowd would hate me. If I didn't do enough, she would punish me. I needed to fight the right things to do and not to do. It wasn't easy, but I managed. Plus, being one of the strongest wrestlers didn't hurt my chances."

Carly laughed. "So what do I do?"

"I honestly don't know. Based on what I heard, Miss X has been at her wit's end ever since that Tiger Mask guy recently showed up. My advice, do something that no one could possibly ignore. Odds are, Miss X will probably notice as well."

"Thanks." Carly said to her trainer. She placed the towel on the back of her neck, but when it brushed against a scratch mark on her back, Carly winced and rubbed it.

Mana sighed. "I told you it'd be dangerous to pick a fight against a Killer Kitty. They fight dirty. Why would you provoke Neko Girl?"

"Dunno." Carly answered. "I just hate her guts."

"Well, either way. I don't think it's over." Thunder said. "The way that Scramble went, I can tell a whole lot of rivalries were birthed."

After Poison, Sayuri talked to a few other girls who wanted to join. Sadly, they all failed the interview and was sent home. The last girl left and Hashimoto entered the office.

"That appears to be all, ma'am."

"All right then. Hey, Ryuji, what time is it?"

Ryuji looked at his watch. "It's just about 3:00, ma'am."

"Ah. Time for my meeting." Sayuri said. "Leave us, Ryuji."

"Okay." Hashimoto turned around and closed the door behind him.

Sayuri waited a moment until her office phone started to ring. She pressed the speaker button. Another woman's voice spoke from it, a voice that Sayuri wasn't too excited about.

"Hello, Sayuri Rogue."

"Hello… Miss X."

Author's Note: And so introduces a whole new set of characters, including the first real character to be part of my roster. For those of you who don't know, Poison is originally from Final Fight, but I know her better in Street Fighter. And before anyone asks, yes, I am putting the Dragon Ball universe in this one. Just thought it'd be a good way to introduce Jasper Jones' character.

Just a head's up. I'm thinking about an Xtrema spin-off story about my characters in different fantasy universes with action situations.

Again, if anyone has a match request, let me know in the comments or my PM's.

Any and all comments are welcome.