Chapter 147 (Daily)
Ryuji Hashimoto entered the nurse's office and found Clementine Cirrus resting in her bed. Most of her body looked fine other than a few bruises, but a bit of her head was bandaged. He then turned to the nurse who was treating her, Ruriko Yashimada.
"Thanks for sticking around to help with our cowgirl, Ms. Yashimada." Ryuji said.
"It's no problem. I'm a nurse, so I have to help my patients, even after my company's business has ended with another." Ruriko said. "Besides, Ms. Cirrus seems like fun."
"Thanks, nurse." Clementine said.
"So how is she?" Ryuji asked.
"Well, nothing serious other than a bit of a concussion, which is amazing considering the story she told me." Ruriko said.
"What story is that?" Ryuji asked turning to Clementine.
"Well, it went something like this." Clementine said. "I know I didn't have a match at Dynamix, but still, Bee was my friend, and I knew that Eris had a trick up her sleeve, so I had to go and support her. Maybe even smack Eris' sidekick with my belt. Introduce platinum to a bit of gold." That made Ruriko chuckle a bit. "Anyway, I just got out of my car and headed to the stadium, but before I reached the door, someone attacked me. Her voice sounded female, so I assumed it was a gal. She hit me with what was probably a trashcan before throwing me headfirst to the side of a dumpster. I struggled to get back up, but my attacker had already climbed to the top of the dumpster and struck me with an elbow drop from above knocking me unconscious.
"When I awoke a minute later, I found myself bound in a tight chain that was attached to the back of a motorcycle. Whoever attacked me drove it and dragged me across the ground. She drove her bike around the parking lot three times before taking me back to the stadium wall where they suddenly stopped and let me hit the wall. I was so weak, I couldn't do anything. My attacker then got off her bike and unchained me before riding off. I couldn't tell who it was, but I remember her saying something to me before I fell asleep. She said 'If you cross me, you do time'. Next thing I know, I wake up in the nurse's office without my belt."
Ryuji sighed. "Well… about your belt…"
"Hmm? What about it?" Clementine asked.
"How shall I put this?" Ryuji asked. "You kinda… lost it."
"What?!" Clementine gasped. "To who?!"
"Willow Powell." Ryuji replied. "Our security camera caught her pinning your unconscious body outside with a referee counting you out. After that, she took the 24/7 belt and took off. We've been trying to get in touch with her, but she's been avoiding our calls. We thought she might be involved with what happened?"
"Her?" Clementine asked with a laugh. "Fat chance. Powell may be an opportunistic diva, but this ain't her. Whoever attacked me had a motorcycle. She always struck me as a stretch limo type of gal."
"Well, whoever it was, the point is, Willow is the 24/7 champion now." Ryuji said.
"Dang." Clementine said with a frown. "Well, I'll always have that to look forward to soon."
"We'll see about that." Ryuji said before turning to Ruriko. "Nurse, what exactly is Clementine's condition."
"Like I said, it's nothing serious. The girl's seriously tough." Ruriko said. "But she should probably spend the night here at the office. She should be clear to check out tomorrow. And she'll probably be ring ready again by the time the next show begins."
"That's great." Clementine said. "Because I'll be wanting to slam someone down in the ring as a warning to Willow that I'm getting my belt back."
"I'll make a note of that for Ms. Rogue." Ryuji said.
While her assistant was checking on Clementine, Sayuri sat in her office working on data work on her laptop. Just then, she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in." she said. The door opened and Platinum Mask walked right in and closed the door behind her. "Ah, I was wondering when you wanted a private one-on-one talk, your highness."
"I'm no one's highness. At least, not officially, not while I wear this mask." Platinum Mask said. "I left Kasparia as a means of bettering relations between my nation and the world through competitive sports. I admit, we've had a problematic history, but I wish to change all that. And since Kasparians pride themselves on their might, I chose the path of professional wrestling. And with the mask, it gives me a good excuse to keep my identity hidden."
"But it seems that Eris created a snafu in your little plan." Sayuri surmised.
Platinum Mask nodded. "She figured out who I was and threatened to blackmail me. I had to do whatever she said or else she would ruin my country. I didn't know what to do… That is, until you saved me. Now, I'm just wondering… what do I do now?"
"Well, if you're still committed to proving Kasparia's worth to the world, I suggest you keep wrestling." Sayuri said. "And don't worry. I'll do everything in my power to protect your identity."
"You will?" Platinum Mask asked.
"The way I see it, since you're under my employ, any backlash that happens to you if you're discovered falls on me too, and I can't afford the scandal." Sayuri explained. "You keep wrestling, I keep your identity safe, and everybody wins."
Platinum Mask smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you, Sayuri Rogue. Your honor knows no bounds. And if you don't mind, I would like to request a match."
"Oh? Against who?"
Platinum Mask narrowed her eyes. "Eris. I wish to pay her back for all the times she violated me in these past couple of months."
Sayuri smiled. "I think I can arrange something like that."
In a dark and creepy parlor, where the only light is the fire lit at the fireplace, Midnight poured a glass of wine which she handed to Azraella Bloodstone. She then sat in a chair right beside of Electra Sinder.
"Welcome back, Azraella." Midnight said. "Things haven't been the same without you."
"Rest assured, I'm back, and I've got a greater understanding of the darkness than ever before." Azraella said. "My body was baptized by flames and I stared into death itself. And I can't wait to show the world what I'm made of."
"That's the spirit." Midnight said with an evil grin.
"So Azraella really is going to help you fight for the Tag Team Championships?" Electra asked. "I suppose that makes sense. I fought with you, and I failed."
Midnight turned to her other partner and gently caressed her chin to look at her. "You haven't failed anyone, Electra. You're a new Daughter of Darkness. You're still just dipping your toes in the water. Once you dive deeper into the abyss, then you will have a better understanding of the darkness, and it will strengthen you."
Electra smiled softly. "Thank you, Midnight."
"My pleasure."
Just then, the door opened up, and a pale woman with black hair and a black crescent moon mark on her face walked in. She knelt down close to Midnight and took her hand.
"Gwen, my dear." Midnight said caressing her pale face. "I take it you've succeeded again."
"Yes, my queen." Gwen said gently kissing her mistress' hand. "This is the third Battle of the Brides where I came out on top."
"I see fortune smiles on you, my dear." Midnight said pulling Gwen in for a passionate kiss.
"Should we be here for this?" Electra asked without an answer.
Midnight broke the kiss and looked deeply into her lover's eyes. "You have something on your mind, beloved?"
Gwen nodded. "This is the third battle in a row where I defeated all the other brides for the honor of being your top bride. I'd like to take it as an omen. I was thinking that maybe… it is time."
Midnight blinked twice. "Are you certain, my dear?" Gwen nodded. "Very well. You've lain with the darkness, now you will undergo the trials to be strengthened by it. If you succeed, then Xtrema will have Nyx back in its roster."
Over at Matsuda and Juli's, Dawn and Kaito sat in a booth looking over their menus. They waited until Jun stopped by their table, but she didn't recognize them until she approached.
"Welcome to Matsuda and Juli's. May I take your… Hold on. Shut the door! Queen Bee and Kaito Marx!"
"Hey, Juli." Dawn greeted. "Don't mind us. We're just here for a nice lunch."
"It's a celebration for her winning the World Championship the other night." Kaito said.
"Sound splendid." Jun Juli said. "You know, we offer a special treat for champions celebrating their win. A chocolate cake with gold frosting. How does that sound?"
"Why not?" Dawn asked. "I earned it."
"Great. And you, Kaito?"
"I think I'll have a bowl of spaghetti with a side of fries."
"Coming right up." Jun said before walking away. On the way, she stopped to greet two girls in the booth behind Dawn. "Hey, Milk. Hey, Mint."
Curious, Dawn and Kaito turned to the next booth and noticed the two members of Candy Pair sitting adjacent to them, who then turned and noticed them back.
"Hey, aren't you those two Girmov girls who fought Queen Elizabeth and Payne Fox the other night at Dynamix?"
"That's us." Milk said.
"Awesome." Dawn said. "Wanna join us?"
"Really?" Mint asked. "We wouldn't want to impose."
"No, I insist." Dawn said having Kaito sit next to her while Milk and Mint sat right across from them. "Anyone who can put the beatdown on Liz earns my respect."
"Liz?" Milk asked.
"Queen Elizabeth." Kaito clarified. "She and Bee have a bad history."
"Oh, yeah. I think I've heard of that." Mint said. "Some bad blood from before you started wrestling, right?"
"A little after, actually." Dawn said. "She and her friends always bullied me back in my rookie days."
"Yeesh. Sorry to bring it up." Mint apologized remembering how much trouble Queen and Payne gave her and Milk after their first loss against them.
"No, it's cool. Not only did I keep my belt on Dynamix, but I also saw you pin Liz at our pay-per-view. So I call that night a success."
"Right. Can't believe you're still the World Champ." Milk said. "And you've beaten how many people?"
"Well, it's hard to say, but I'll list everyone who thought they could take the top championships from me." Dawn said before starting to count. "Let's see, I've beaten Nyx for the title. Then, there's N-Bomb. Thunder Mana. Diana Diaz. Clementine Cirrus. And now, Eris."
"Those are some heavy hitters." Milk said. "Can anyone defeat you?"
"Well, admittedly, they still have the potential to beat me, but still the fact that I beat those chumps show that I'm the ace of Xtrema and the Queen of Pro Wrestling." Dawn bragged.
"So while we're on the subject, who do you think your next opponent will be?" Mint asked.
"I don't know, really." Dawn said. "I was actually thinking of having an open challenge at the next Xtrema show."
"Are you sure?" Kaito asked. "That's pretty risky."
"I'll take the risk." Dawn said. "But who would it be though. Platinum Mask maybe. I'm sure she's looking for a new ground. Can't be Scarlette though. She's got her hands full with the Daughters of Darkness. It could be Mantis, but I think she's still recovering from Xtrema Against the World."
"Well, our friend, Haruna, predicts your next championship match will be against Viper Takagi." Milk said.
"Really." Dawn said before giving it some thought. "Yes, I bet we'd have an awesome match. Your friend's got a good thinker."
"She'd love to hear that." Mint said before turning to her partner. "Why isn't she here again?"
"She's processing her next decision, remember?"
"Oh, right."
"What big decision?" Kaito asked.
"Well… Haruna's going to a big change in her life, something that her family's been against." Mint said. "She clearly likes what she's doing, but she's worried about how her family's going to take it."
Dawn stared before thinking back to her own childhood. "You know what, tell her to do whatever."
"Excuse me?" Mint asked.
"If your friend wants to tell her family, she should." Dawn advised. "Sometimes, they may not understand. Trust me, I know. But anything's better than her never telling them. At least she'll know."
"That's actually really nice." Mint said. "You're not as bad as everyone says you are."
"Ugh, don't make me sound all mushy." Dawn groaned dramatically.
Milk and Mint laughed before holding up their menus. They looked like they were selecting their food, but really, they were trying to hide their conversation.
"So are we really going to tell Haruna that she's been given advice from someone who doesn't like her wrestling persona?" Mint asked.
"That would be pretty funny." Milk answered.
Back at Sayuri's office, the Xtrema CEO got another knock at her door. She called them in, and Miss X entered. Sayuri smiled as she sat down across from her.
"Glad you could arrive, Miss X." Sayuri greeted.
"Thanks for having me." Miss X said. "So I couldn't help but think about what you said the other night. Something about an idea that can change both Xtrema and Girmov?"
"Ah, yes. That." Sayuri said. "Tell me, X, how do you feel about… a permanent partnership?"
*Xtrema Shorts*
The crowd welcomed Chibi Monica Everly as she stepped up on the stage and waved to them. She sat down next to Chibi Mewlie who was sharpening her claws with a nail file.
"Welcome to Xtrema Shorts where we interview our great characters of Xtrema. Joining us tonight is none other than the Queen of Catfights herself, Mewlie! Thanks for being here, Mewlie."
"I say it was about time I showed up." Chibi Mewlie said. "It feels as though I've been waiting forever to have my story told again."
"Right. Well, before we begin, I'd like to go over the rules. First, I ask you a set of standard questions I ask everybody. And after that, I'll ask questions which were asked by our readers."
"You mean Awesome ax10? He's pretty much the only person who asks anything."
"My point still stands. You ready, Mewlie?"
"Let's get this over with."
"Okay then. First question, who was your debut opponent?"
"You mean in my career or since I joined Xtrema? The first ever wrestler I ever faced was a bitch named Emi Mako. We were both new to the career, so I didn't hesitate to fight dirty until she got lucky and beat me with a figure-four leglock. As for my first Xtrema opponent, that would be the battle royal for the Xtrema Championship. I thought I had it in the bag if I pretended to be missing, but that cowgirl found me, threw me back in the ring, and N-Bomb threw me out of the ring right after."
"What's it like facing Kaito?"
"Pfft! Why would I waste my time on such a weakling? It's unfathomable that my daughter considers him worthy of her attention."
"What do you think of Sayuri Rogue?"
"Honestly, I think someone needs to bring her down a peg or two, and not just that one time she lost at Dynamix. She needs a true one-on-one loss from one of us to show that she's not as tough as she makes herself out to be."
"Who's the easiest opponent you've faced other than Kaito?"
"Easy. That'll be Neko Girl. Sure, she's not exactly a pushover, but I'm pretty much guaranteed a victory over her because I'm the Queen of Catfights, and she's just a kitten."
"Okay then. That's all the standard questions we have in store. Now, for the personal ones. First off, how did it feel being the one at the receiving end of your tactics at the hands of Leodora?"
Chibi Mewlie gave a blank, yet sinister stare. "No comment."
"Why did you allow Neko Girl to copy your gimmick?"
"What? You think that was HER idea? Please! That girl is a catfighter in her blood like me, so I introduced her to that life."
"Would you allow Neko girl to break off from her?"
"Oh, please. As if she's actually going anywhere. She's 16 years old, and I'm her legal guardian. That brat can't leave if she wanted to."
"Well, that's about all the questions we have right now. Thank you all for reading. Any and all comments are welcome."
