Chapter 21 (Summer Special)
*Thunder Mana vs Clover*
Sayuri Rogue returned to the wrestling ring where two muscle-bound amazons were waiting. Thunder Mana stood in one corner in her sleeveless one-piece that covered her legs. Clover stood in the other wearing a black sports bra and trunks.
"This contest will be a standard wrestling match… with just one amendment." Sayuri snapped her fingers and two buff lifeguards came in. They gave two metal shoulder pads to each of the girls. Clover couldn't help but wink at the one approaching her. As the lifeguards left, Sayuri continued. "In honor of muscle beaches, you will wrestle wearing these shoulder pads."
"Damn, these are heavy." Clover commented. "How much do these things weigh?"
"50 pounds each." Sayuri replied. "Which means you two will be wrestling with 100 pounds of weight on your shoulders. Remember, they must be on at all times. If any one of them come off, the wrestler who lost them will automatically lose. Is that clear?" Mana and Clover both nodded as they strapped the metal pads on. "Good. Remember, other than these pads, standard wrestling rules apply." She exited the ring while a referee entered. She called for the bell.
DING-DING!
Both wrestlers were already feeling the pressure on their shoulders, but they didn't pay it any mind. They approached each other and started with a test of strength.
"Feeling the pressure yet, honey?" Clover asked while pushing.
"That's my line." Thunder Mana replied pushing back.
These two clashed like titans going against each other. The contest ended when Clover released Mana's hand and quickly sent a punch at her head. She then hit her with a swift headbutt that knocked her backwards. Clover sent an elbow drop right on Thunder Mana's stomach.
Clover picked her opponent back up and sent her to the ropes. She hit her again with a knee strike to her gut. That's when she got right behind her and applied a sleeper hold.
"Come on, thunderhead. Is that all you got?" Clover asked.
Thunder Mana raised her foot and stomped it straight on Clover's. She yelled out and released her hold. Thunder Mana tripped Clover back and applied an ankle lock.
"Not really. I've got plenty more where that came from." Thunder Mana replied.
Clover growled and started to crawl. The extra weight on her shoulders made it take longer than usual, but eventually, Clover gripped the bottom rope and the referee made Thunder Mana let go of the ankle lock.
Clover got back up and confronted Thunder Mana. The Storm grabbed her and applied a headlock, but Clover managed to power out and throw Thunder Mana to the corner. She lifted her up and propped her to the top turnbuckle. She grabbed her head ready for a suplex, but she couldn't lift her because of the extra weight. Instead, Mana broke free from her hold and shoved her back to the mat. The ring shook a little, but that didn't faze her. Thunder Mana stood on top of the turnbuckle and jumped landing a full drop on Clover's body shoulder-first to make it more effective. She then hooked the leg for the pin.
1… 2…
Clover kicked out.
Thunder Mana lifted Clover by the hair, but the Irish woman gained a second wind and struck her opponent in the chest. She then grabbed Mana's throat, lifted her up, and threw her down in a chokeslam. She dropped down and landed her bicep on Mana's chest.
"Let's go, ref!" Clover called out still with her arm over her opponent.
1… 2…
Even though there was a metal shoulderpad adding to the weight on the pin, Thunder Mana kicked out.
Clover stood up and waited for Thunder Mana to do the same. When she did, Clover wrapped her arms around Thunder Mana and applied a bearhug. Mana gritted her teeth and strained looking for a way out. She got one.
Thunder Mana wrapped her arms around Clover and applied her own bearhug. It was now a bearhug challenge.
"Grr. What's this supposed to accomplish?" Clover asked.
"Just this." Thunder Mana replied as she moved her arm down to Clover's leg.
Clover was surprised as Mana started to lift her up by her legs. The higher she was, the more amazed the crowd became. They cheered loudly as Thunder Mana finally managed to lift Clover overhead despite the extra weight. Thunder Mana landed backwards to drop her opponent in a suplex.
Thunder Mana wanted to go for the pin, but she didn't. Instead, she had one idea. She headed to the corner and waited. Clover very weakly stood up where she was suplexed. That's when Thunder Mana charged forward and struck Clover's chest with her signature spear. The crowd applauded loudly when they actually heard the impact. That's when Mana finally hooked the leg.
1… 2… 3!
DING-DING!
Sayuri Rogue got into the ring and raised Thunder Mana's hand up. The lifeguards returned to unhook the metal shoulder pads from the ladies.
"Good match, am I right?" Sayuri asked. "Strength is a very crutial part of wrestling, and Thunder Mana definitely managed to display her strength! Clover put up a good fight, but in the end, experience helped Mana win! Now, onto the next match…"
*Kyoko Natsumi and Platinum Mask vs Poison and Mantis*
The next match took place in a large, square area in the sand. There, there were two volleyball nets on different sides. One one side of the area, there were two wrestlers: Platinum Mask (who wore a full-body onsie covering her whole body, mostly to cover her royal birthmark) and Kyoko Natsumi (wearing a one-piece that shows off her very fit arms and legs). The other side had Poison (who wore her usual outfit, but without her hat and wearing sunglasses) and Mantis (who wore a green bikini and a green mouthcover). Kyoko and Mantis were placed behind the nets while Platinum Mask and Poison were on the other sides. Sayuri Rogue came in between Platinum Mask and Poison placing a volleyball between them.
"This will be a match dedicated to the popular beach game, volleyball, but with a few changes. Platinum Mask, Poison, the two of you will act as offense. Take this ball and try to score a goal over your opponents' nets. You're free to attack each other to try to take the ball. Kyoko, Mantis, you're on defense. Try to keep the volleyball from hitting the ground after it passes over the net. You will have ten minutes. Whichever team scores the most points at the end wins."
While Mantis and Kyoko started intensely at each other's eyes, Poison shot her own glare at Platinum Mask.
"You know, I never did get you back for making a fool of me at our debut match." She said.
"And you won't today." Platinum Mask responded.
"Won't this be an exciting match, everyone?" Sayuri placed the volleyball and exited the area. "Now… PLAY BALL!"
DING-DING!
Poison tried to get the early with a kick, but Platinum Mask caught the leg and threw her behind her. She took the ball and threw it over the opposing team's net, but Mantis managed to kick it back over. Platinum Mask readied herself for another hit, but Poison tackled her to the sand. She grabbed her head and slammed it down multiple times.
While Plotinum Mask was groaning and recovering from the attack, Poison got up and took the volleyball. She ran to Kyoko Natsumi's net and kicked it over. Luckily, Kyoko jumped up to knock it back. However, Poison jumped up and kicked the ball back with a backflip. The ball was launched back, but it aimed right at Kyoko's face. Once it made impact, it and she fell on the other side of the net.
Platinum Mask and Kyoko Natsumi: 0
Poison and Mantis: 1
Kyoko growled and passed the ball to Platinum. She turned and saw Poison sending a kick. It was too late. Poison's foot made impact with the masked wrestler's head knocking her sideways. With Platinum Mask down, Poison wrapped her legs around her head and grabbed onto her legs.
"Not so fast, ugly." Poison said. "Now that we have the advantage, we're going to keep it. I'll stay right here until time's up."
Of course, Platinum Mask didn't want it that way. She slowly planted her feet and proceeded to getting back up. Poison tried to hold on, but it was no use. She was pried off and thrown away.
After giving Poison one last kick to keep her down, Platinum Mask took the volleyball and ran to Mantis' net. She leaped up and slammed the ball to the far side. Mantis ran to knock it away, but she was too late. The ball hit their side.
Platinum Mask and Kyoko Natsumi: 1
Poison and Mantis: 1
Poison and Mantis looked at each other and nodded. The former got the ball and ran across. Platinum Mask tried to catch her, but she wasn't quick enough. Poison jumped up to Kyoko's net and slammed the ball down. Kyoko managed to hit it back to the center, but when she did that, Poison vaulted over the net and sent a diving kick at Kyoko as she was taken by surprise.
"KYOKO!" Platinum Mask yelled out. Suddenly, her legs were grabbed. She looked down and saw Mantis wrapping her arms around her legs. She tried to remove her, but before she could, Poison returned and sent a strong kick to knock her back. She then picked up the volleyball and sent it over Kyoko's net without any resistance.
Platinum Mask and Kyoko Natsumi: 1
Poison and Mantis: 2
At the side of the match, Sayuri and her assistant, Ryuji, watched in surprise. They didn't think Poison and Mantis would pull something like that, even if they are heels.
"Is that against the rules?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, I never made it a rule that the defenders wouldn't interfere." Sayuri said. "We'll see the ratings on this match and see if we can fix that next time we have a summer special."
Back at the match, Platinum Mask stood back up dizzy from the attack. Her stance was cut short however when Poison slapped her across the face so hard, she turned around right to Mantis' kick that sent her back down. Poison grabbed the ball again and threw it right down to Kyoko's body as she tried to get up.
Platinum Mask and Kyoko Natsumi: 1
Poison and Mantis: 3
Feeling confident in their abilities, Mantis returned to where she was behind her net while Poison urged Platinum Mask to get up. When she did, Poison shoved the volleyball in her arms. The gangster smiled and prepared for another attack. She charged at her, but Platinum Mask gained her second wind and struck Poison back with a backfist swing.
Platinum Mask gripped the volleyball and started to dash to the enemy net. She jumped up but Mantis struck with a high kick using the net to get her. Platinum Mask was knocked back, but with a bit more of her strength, the ball fell from her hand and landed on the other side of the net while Mantis kicked.
Platinum Mask and Kyoko Natsumi: 2
Poison and Mantis: 3
As soon as Platinum Mask recovered, she returned to her side. Kyoko called her over for a talk.
"There's one minute left on the clock," she said, "Right now, I don't like our chances."
"I agree." Platinum Mask responded. "Either we lose or we tie. Either way, we won't be eligible for MVP."
"So what do we do?"
"Well, if we can't be MVP, the least we can do is make sure those two don't either."
"That's going to take some effort." Kyoko pointed at the other side of the ring. Poison stood there tossing the ball up and down with her hand. Meanwhile, Mantis left the other side of the net and joined her partner's side. "They're going to do everything they can to make sure they win."
"Then let's fight fire with fire." Platinum Mask offered.
Kyoko nodded and left the other side of her net. The match continued, and the crowd got excited that it became a free-for-all. The four wrestlers charged at each other. When they collided, they wrestled for control of the ball.
Kyoko and Mantis exchanged martial arts strikes. While the kabuki had the power advantage, Mantis had more speed. The same could be said for Platinum Mask and Poison. Eventually, Platinum Mask and Kyoko managed to grab both their respective enemies at the same time by their wrists. They threw them making their backs collide with each other. That's when Platinum Mask grabbed ahold of the ball.
"Set me up, Platinum!" Kyoko shouted.
Platinum Mask leaped up into the air and threw the ball up above her partner. Kyoko Natsumi jumped up as well, flipped upside down, and struck with a hard kick. The ball rocketed straight for the area behind the net…
Until a foot got in its way. Much to everyone's surprise, Poison kicked upwards and intercepted the ball. The ball was sent right at Platinum Mask's body. She was caught by surprise and knocked backwards into the sand. And that's when it ended.
DING-DING!
Sayuri clapped her hands along with the crowd. "Now, that was something, everyone. With a score of 3-2, the winners of this game are Poison and Mantis!"
Mantis didn't say anything and walked away. Poison, however, stood above Platinum Mask's body and smirked down.
"Now, we're even." She said before walking away. Platinum Mask balled up a fist and hit the sand.
"And now…" Sayuri Rogue said as she went to the shore. There was a red jet ski with the Xtrema logo on it. She sat in its seat and revved it up. "Onto the main event!" She rode the jet ski all the way out into the water.
*Amazon Aqua vs Calypso vs the Skunk vs Starla vs Isebella vs La Calavera vs Mewlie vs Neko Girl*
Sayuri Rogue rode on until she came across a large board with the Xtrema logo in the middle of the water. It was twice as big as a wrestling ring. It rocked slightly to all sides like a buoy. On top of the board were six different wrestlers trying to keep their balance.
One was Amazon Aqua who wore a metallic bikini in a shining blue color. Calypso was there two in a saucy green bikini. The Skunk wore a black and white one-piece with customized cuts around the rear area exposing a bit of her behind. La Calavera was there two in her sugar-skull mask, but she had a blue one-piece with an exposed belly button. Starla and Isebella wore matching cute swimsuits with little skirts. Lastly, the Killer Kitties wore black bikinis along with their usual claws and cat ears.
Sayuri Rogue spoke into her microphone standing on top of her jet ski seat. "This is the last match of the summer special, ladies and gentlemen! These six lovely ladies will face each other in a battle royal. Whoever's thrown out of the large waterboard and into the ocean is eliminated. Last woman standing wins. And to make it more interesting, this platform you are all on now is on a buoy making it difficult for you to keep your balance. Get ready, everyone!"
Amazon Aqua looked at Calypso. Normally, they're partners, but here, they're opponents. "No hard feelings?"
"None at all." Calypso said. "Don't think I'll take it easy on you, though."
"If you do, I'll have you swimming." Aqua smiled.
"Guess it's a good thing we had our swimming lessons. Right, Starla?"
"Yes, Isebella. By the way, good luck."
"You too."
Mewlie gazed at her daughter. "Good luck, Neko."
"If I don't win," Neko Girl said, "I hope you don't either."
La Calavera and the Skunk didn't say anything. They just stood where they were waiting for the bell.
DING-DING!
Right before anyone could make a move, the Skunk leaped up and landed back down on her butt. The impact made the platform shake a lot. The others struggled to keep their balance. Some made it, but La Calavera and Isebella fell out of the platform. They were both surprised and embarrassed that they didn't make it ten seconds before getting eliminated.
"Hoo-ah!" the Skunk cheered. "The match is mine!"
Everyone else ignored her and went for each other. Starla went to attack Mewlie, Calypso tangled with Neko Girl, and Amazon Aqua was left with the Skunk.
Neko Girl pounced on Calypso. She was trying to get some good scratches in while Calypso tried not to slide off of the unbalanced platform. The island girl reached out her legs and wrapped them around Neko Girl's body in a figure four position. The cat girl winced in pain before raking her claws over Calypso's legs. She yelled out and let go in response before kicking her to the center of the platform.
Mewlie managed to punch Starla across the face. She then kicked her stomach making her roll close to the edge. The side of the platform tipping nearly made Starla roll off, but she managed to keep her stance. She then saw Mewlie running to her ready to slide-kick her off. Starla saw it coming and dodged it thinking it would be enough for her to slide herself off. However, Mewlie saved herself by digging her claws into the platform. She then got up to continue her brawl.
Meanwhile, Amazon Aqua got the advantage over the Skunk by pushing her with her strength. As the stinker was close to the edge, Aqua believed now was a time to force this tricky rat out. She went to push her, but at that moment, a rank smell escaped from the Skunk's rear end and covered Aqua's face making her step back to cover her nose. The Skunk smiled as she knew her tactic had worked. She got back up and knocked Aqua back to the center with a hip attack.
For the moment, it was the two members of Atlantis Force, Neko Girl, and the Skunk at the center of the platform. Calypso had a moment to take a whiff at her partner's face.
"Phew. What happened?"
"Don't ask."
The two women nodded at each other and hooked their arms. They spun around and hit each other's opponents; Aqua with an elbow strike on Neko Girl and Calypso with a high kick on the Skunk's face. Once they were pushed away, Aqua and Calypso looked at each other.
"So what now?" Calypso asked.
"I suppose… this!" Aqua said as she picked Calypso up in a fireman's carry. She attempted to get to the edge when Calypso hit her head with a knee strike.
Aqua let go and Calypso attempted a judo throw, but the amazon's weight prevented that. Instead, Aqua countered with a sleeper hold. Calypso was held, but Aqua was unable to move her.
Meanwhile, Mewlie had the advantage over Starla with a camel clutch. She wretched her head back while laughing at her pain.
"Are you done yet?" Mewlie asked.
She then lifted Starla up and attempted to throw her off. Unfortunately, Starla reversed the hold and kicked her in the face. Starla was about to kick her when suddenly, Neko Girl arrived and shoved Starla. The push was enough for the girl to fall out of the platform. Starla has been eliminated.
Mewlie gave a small chuckle. "Thanks, dear."
"Don't make a big deal out of it." Neko Girl replied.
Just then, the Skunk approached them. The Killer Kitties expected a fight and showed off their claws in preparation.
"Hold it." The Skunk said. "I'm here to offer a deal."
"A deal?" Mewlie asked.
"The amazon is in her natural element. And even without that, she's still the toughest of us. How about we gang up on her and the dancer and stay out of each other's way until then?"
The mother and daughter looked at each other and nodded their heads.
"Deal." Neko Girl said.
At the count of three, the Skunk and the Killer Kitties jumped up and slammed back down. With their combined weight, it shook the other side where Amazon Aqua had just released Calypso from her arms. The Skunk then did a hip strike on Calypso making her fall out of the platform and into the water. In the meantime, the Killer Kitties stood on different sides of Amazon Aqua and wrapped their arms around her in a double-bearhug. Amazon Aqua was having a hard time getting out.
"Aren't you precious?" Mewlie asked. "When we're done with you…"
"It's going to be rough like cat litter." Neko Girl finished.
It was difficult for Aqua to escape, but it wasn't impossible. After being squeezed for a minute, Amazon Aqua powered out of the double-team and grabbed Neko Girl's wrist. She thrusted her to the side and she fell off the platform through elimination. She stuck her head out to see her mother's smug face.
"Oh, too bad. Don't worry, dear. I'll win for the both of us."
Neko Girl didn't like that. She hated the smirk on Mewlie's face. So she reached out her hands, grabbed her ankles and pulled her down right into the ocean. Mewlie stuck her head out and confronted her daughter.
"What?" she asked.
"Like I said," Neko Girl said, "If I don't win, you don't either." She started swimming away.
"Oh, she's a dirty backstabber." Mewlie growled. She then sighed and smiled. "But she's my dirty backstabber. I taught her so well."
Back on the platform, Amazon Aqua paysed to take a breath. But because of that hesitation, the Skunk took the opportunity to jump up and land on her butt again making the platform tilt. Amazon Aqua was caught off-guard and fell backwards away from the water. The Skunk ran to her and leaped up landing butt-first on Aqua's stomach making her gasp. The Skunk got back up and slammed her butt again. She then scootched herself up to Aqua's face until her butt completely covered it. Aqua's limbs frailed wildly while the Skunk laughed at her struggles.
"Some queen of the sea! Once you're knocked out, it'll be easy for me to throw you out and take the win! And then, I'll be MVP easy!"
Amazon Aqua struggled to breathe underneath her opponent's bottom. She started to feel weak and began to black out. She was nearly on the verge of passing out… until she got her second wind. As if being struck by lightning, Amazon Aqua found the strength she needed to grab onto the Skunk's legs and lift her up much to her surprise. Even then, she didn't let her down. Instead, she lifted her really high up while standing on her two feet.
"What?" the Skunk asked as she tried to struggle out. "What are you doing?"
"Just this!" Aqua shouted. She then dropped backwards impacting the Skunk on the other side of the platform as it began to shake. Amazon Aqua had one last idea inspired by the Skunk. She went to the center and ran to the area opposite of where the Skunk was. She jumped up and slammed her body down making the platform tilt instantly. It launched the Skunk's sore body over like a catapult and she landed right into the ocean.
DING-DING!
Taking a deep breath one more time, Amazon Aqua looked around the platform and realized that there was no one else left. She smiled, stood back up, and raised her hands up to the cheering crowd.
Sayuri Rogue drove her jet ski by the platform gesturing to the victor. "Congratulations to Amazon Aqua! Despite the odds, she managed to get through and pull off the win! As the last one left standing, the Queen of the Sea is the winner! Now, remember everyone, in one hour, we'll decide the MVP of the Summer Special! Take that time to cast in your votes and we'll tally them up! We'll see who gets the 10,000 dollars very soon!"
*MVP*
The sun began to set when the ten winners of the special presented themselves on a wooden stage. A pair of spotlights shined on them as they posed for the adoring crowd. Sayuri Rogue showed herself at the center with an envelope in her hand.
"The Summer Special was truly one for the record books. After all the trials, these ten wrestlers are now eligible for this year's MVP and the big cash prize. Before we get started, let's talk about our nominees.
"First off, it's Bunny Bomber, our special guest. You were certainly a crowd favorite, and you ended the match by putting your opponent in a position that most men and some women would dream of being. You're certainly a good guess."
"I can't help it if the fans love me." Bunny Bomber replied giving her breasts a good swing side-to-side. The men in the crowd started hypnotically.
"Moving on." Sayuri Rogue said. "Eris, you won the mud match. You may have used underhanded methods, but you were clearly the better woman tonight and managed to keep up your streak."
"You're surprised? I am a goddess after all."
"Next, we have Cleopatra. You managed to make it inside of a steam room than most of our staff calculated. And when you escaped before Madame Python, you managed to come out with a very heavenly glow."
"Thank you, Ms. Rogue." Cleopatra said. "I am proud of how I looked later on."
"The next match was between Scarlette and Willow Powell, but since neither of them could finish it before time ran out, neither of them were eligible for the title of MVP. So now, we go to the victors of our melon-smashing match: our ace, Queen Bee, and her boyfriend/valet, Kaito Marx."
Queen Bee gave a cocky chuckle. "Not bad, if I do say so myself."
"Yeah." Kaito agreed. "Glad to win."
"Either one of them would be the MVP. But for now, let's talk about the winner of our brutal beach brawl, Liza Surkova. Her ruthlessness and resourcefulness left Mercy all washed up, literally. Anything you want to say, Liza?"
"Just get this over with." Liza snapped.
"Whoa, someone's impatient. All right then. Thunder Mana, you're up next. Despite the weight on your shoulders and the fact that Clover had a few inches on you, you showed your strength that some people would call superhuman. Not bad."
"Glad I could prove myself." Thunder Mana said.
"Our next girls are Poison and Mantis. Even though the two of you used underhanded tactics that I normally wouldn't approve of to gain an advantage, you won the volleyball match."
"Just give me my check already." Mantis said.
"Or to me." Poison said.
"All in good time." Sayuri said. "First, we must address our last winner: Amazon Aqua. Despite facing against seven other girls, one of whom is your partner, you pulled off a win and finished the game."
"Just winning like any wrestler would, ma'am." Aqua said.
"The ten of you won your matches, but only one can be called the MVP. The crowd has voted and I will reveal them to you." Ryuji gave her a knife and she used it to unseal the envelope. She pulled out the voting results and cleared her throat. "The third most votes go to… Queen Bee."
"What?" Queen Bee asked in surprise.
"The second most votes are for… Bunny Bomber."
"So close." The bunny woman said.
"And lastly, with a one-vote advantage, our MVP for this year's Summer Special is…" She paused for dramatic effect. "…Amazon Aqua!"
"Really?" Amazon Aqua asked as she walked to her boss. She gave her the check and a trophy. The crowd cheered in response for her victory. Some of the other girls were disappointed, and some were happy for Aqua while she smiled in joy. "Thank you! Thank you, everybody!"
"Congratulations, Amazon Aqua. You must be so proud. Enjoy your reward. As for everyone else, thank you for your support for this Summer Special. I'll see you all later, and have a great summer, everybody!"
The crowd cheered as the show ended. For the rest of the summer weekend, the wrestlers had a relaxing time at the beach. Sure, some of them they didn't appreciate the thought of hanging with each other, but they weren't about to ruin their vacation. It was a summer to remember indeed.
Author's Note: Glad I was able to finish this special. Here's my new schedule for this so far. I'm going to continue with the main story until I finish the PPV, Olympia. After that, I'll get to work on the Halloween special. Hopefully, I'll be done just in time. I'll spend a few chapters more on the main story after that and once December arrives, I'll work on the Christmas special. I'm really looking forward to them.
Any and all comments are welcome.