Breaking the Tension! Special - Pre-Royale Interviews

Patty O' Malley - Tension's first and only interviewer and rising Youtube celebrity - stood near the staging area for the Tension Battle Royale, doing some last minute check ups on the equipment. Well, no, to be perfectly honest, her trusty assistant, Ran, was doing all the check-ups. That was all well and good. It was what Patty paid Ran for. Or, at least, what she would pay Ran for when all the ad revenue money came in. Besides, Patty had to prepare herself. Hair spray, lipstick, just the right smattering of makeup. Make sure she was 100% ready.

No...110%!

This was it. The big show. The season finale. Not a normal episode of Breaking the Tension!, but instead, a special, one-time, pre-Battle Royal interview roundup, brought to the loyal viewers thanks to a generous bribe that got them both backstage passes. Her mission? To meet the various participants, see where their minds at, and get as many exclusive interviews as she could. In a short time, one of them was going to be the #1 contender for the Tension World Championship. Perhaps even the new champion. And she would have that person caught right before his or her historic moment. That would equate to hits, which would equate to subscribers, and that would equate to sweet, sweet ad revenue!

Also, it would be a good step in the world further acknowledging her worth as a respectable interviewer. Of course. That was the important thing. Right.

"Okay." Ran snapped in a memory card and put her headphones. "We're ready."

"Good, good." Patty checked her purse, making sure her pepper spray was full and her stun gun was charged. Never could be too careful with wrestlers. "All right. One hour. Eight contestants." She clapped her hands and started to bounce on her heels, psyching up for a truly phenomenal round of journalistic stamina and rigor. "Let's go."

She took off with Ran close behind, making a beeline towards their first

With Ran close behind, Patty ventured out into the backstage area, eager to track down the challengers.

Patty decided to start off with easy prey, going for the one wrestler she knew she could find - Clyde Gastin. Given his rather brutal and somewhat disturbing match, coupled with the fact that he was set to be the first contestant out in the Battle Royale, it was reasonable to assume that he would be around the AFW's top notch medical center, getting ready to be sent out to a match that would likely put him right back in the center quite soon.

Patty admired that. She admired Clyde's stamina, his heart, his willingness to go on in the face of such ruthless adversity. Sh sensed in Clyde a kindred spirit - as he suffered as wrestler, so, too, did she suffer as a journalist. Constantly persecuted and denied, but still continuing. And this was the perfect time to interview him, too. She would get his words as the pain still tore through him and his words were the most honest. Authentic opinions.

Patty burst into the medical center with Ran close behind, zeroing in on Clyde and quickly making her to him while the doctors all scrambled - they had a time limit, here. Only so long she could go before the security guards caught on. "Clyde Gastin!" She pulled her microphone out and slid over beside him, while Ran got into position. "I'm Patty O' Malley from Breaking the Tension!, AFW's hottest show, letting the fans reach out to the stars they so admire. You're second battle of the night is about to begin, and we're all eager to hear what's on the mind of Texas' #1 son!"

Following the Three on One beatdown from the Thorns of a Rose... Clyde had been carried out of the ring and placed backstage. His arm had been dislocated in the match thanks to Aoi and now with the Battle Royale about to start up, the Doctor and several nurses were trying to pop his partially dislocated shoulder right into his back place.

"Goddamn! Goddamn! Sonovabitch! OwWwww!!! Aaaghh!! STOP TOUCHIN' IT!!" Clyde howled as the nurses were lifting his arm to examine it. The doctor and nurses were trying to act fast as the Battle Royale was about to start NOW.

And in came Patty asking for a few words on his next battle.

"FUCK YOU!" He snapped at Patty, his leg kicking and tapping as as the Doctor and Nurses held his arm. "Stand still." They said. "F-Fuck yo-Oooou T-TooOoH GOD!!" He exclaimed, writhing in agony before a nurse shoved some painkillers down his throat, presenting him some water that he snatched and gargled down.

"What was that!? Painkillers!? Shit man, you shoulda said somethin'! Load me The. Fuck. Up. Baby! It's gon be just like High-" He exclaimed excitedly before...

Crrrrk

And done. It was popped back into place.

"M-MOTHER OF JOSEPH! SAINT MARY! FUCK HER IN THE ASS!!" A nurse was covering her ears as Clyde ranted, while the other was putting the right arm in a sling.

Patty backed out slowly. Very slowly. "I can, um...see you're busy. I'll come back later...maybe after the match..." She gave him a frilly wave as she stepped out. "...if you're still alive..."

"No! No! I tell ya whats bout ta' happen! Lookie here! Goddamn! Ow...! Okay!,I got my ass kicked I Ain't got no right arm but I'm still alive and I got two feet, and thats all Clyde T. Gastin needs to kick the ever livin' hell outta anybody who thinks they get in the ring with 140 pounds of raw, Texan fury! I am the fastest gun in the land of the risin' sun. And when I win this Battle Royale. I'ma go home. Eat some steak. Watch the Texans. Fuck my girlfriend. Send John Mitchel back to Bootcamp. Win the Title and tell Melissa Sellers to eat a dick and die, cuz the baddest sumbitch in Kyoto is your AFW Tension Champion, baby!"

Patty groaned as she peeked in from the hallway. She was going to be up all night censoring this video for the kid-friendly version. "And, ah, there you have it, folks!" Patty turned back to Ran and faced the camera with her best smile, trying to get Clyde's blood-curdling scream of pure agony out of her head. "Clyde Gastin, Tension's Comeback Kid! With seven other challengers vying for the title, Clyde's blood is in the water. Will he make his way to shallow shores unbitten, or get dragged into the depths? In a short while, we'll know for sure. Stay tuned!"

After interviewing Clyde Gastin...sort of...Patty and Ran continued their fateful trek through the backstage area, on the lookout for their next interview. Patty had a spring in her step and Ran had to shuffle quickly to keep up. Even with their strict, three question limit, time was beginning to run short. She'd have to make sure the questions maximized her time. Annoying, yes, but someone with her skill knew how to work under pressure.

It wasn't long before she stumbled on another participant in the rolaye - Eliza Harenwood. A very fresh face in Tension, she'd surprised many by her inclusion - she was the newest member on the ticket. Certainly skilled, but not one many would pick for something this high-profile. A rookie on her way to winning the championship? Patty could hardly have written a better scenario.

...actually, yes, she probably could have done that. But it wouldn't be easy.

"Ms Harenwood!" She waved to Eliza as she approached. "I'm Patty O Mally, with Breaking the Tension! Can we have a moment of your time?"

Eliza was getting ready for the upcoming match, a royale where the winner would become the number one contender. The ballroom girl was ready to give it her all, she'd been on a losing streak as of late...

But here! She was ready to give it her all, she changed her attire somewhat. It was still the same corset and stockings, however the major color was black and red. It was akin to the flamenco dancers of Spain, her second favorite form of dancing next to ballet.

In the hallway Eliza was preparing herself, pulling her right leg behind her and holding the heel with both hands. When she heard a voice come from behind her, Eliza let her leg down and turned to look at the woman talking to her. "Umm, what's this about?" the aristocratic girl asked.

Pfft, the introduction had only been for formalities' sake. This girl hadn't heard of her? She must not have had an internet connection, wherever she was staying. Probably had trouble getting it set up in a new country. Yes, that was a reasonable explanation that accounted for all the facts.

"It's an interview, Ms." Patty nodded, as Ran came in behind her and set up the shot. "The fans are anxious to learn about the potential champions, and I'm a servant of the fans. Just a few questions, then I'll be out of your lovely hair.”

Eliza politely stood there, hands held together. She had butterflies in her belly already. Still the ballroom girl did her best to keep composed and regal. So this girl was a reporter then? Well. Eliza supposed she could give her a couple of minutes."Um, very well. What would you like to ask?" she said politely, giving a small bow.

"Well, firstly, many are curious about your inclusion in the tournament. While there are several relative newcomers, you might be the newest out of them all. Tell us, what was your reaction when you found out you were included? Could you venture a guess as to why you were picked over more seasoned contestants?"

The first question was something Eliza somewhat expected, after all it had only been a few months since her arrival in Tension."Well, I believe it was due to my popularity. Quite recently I have been labeled "Tension's classiest gal. And many have praised my fighting style of incorporating ballet moves. It was one of the biggest surprises I've ever had. Next question?"

Patty was mildly curious who did the aforementioned labeling. Was that someone's actual job, labeling wrestlers? Was it a fan thing? No one had labeled her 'Tension's greatest reporter'.

Though, they should've. They really should have, especially since she really was Tension’s greatest reporter by default. Maybe a little anonymous posting to the AFW message board would help kickstart things…

"That brings up my next question, actually." She bounced on her heels, staying active to give the scene some pizzazz. "You have a very unique style, incorporating your dance moves and graceful agility, but Tension is going to put you up against many males who are decidedly heavier set. Do you think your style will be able to hold up against them, or will you have to modify it a bit in order to adapt?"

That was something Eliza thought about, she knew most males were bigger than her in the ring. Although she was confident her agility and precise strikes would see her through in most situations.

But the stipulations of this match were not that of a standard match, No, it would require something else. Eliza had watched matches of this kind, to prepare herself for it. "Well the answer is no for the most part, although I'm confident I can reduce my opponents to a slumped mass of meat. Lobbing said slump would require muscle and time. So I will look for chances to ease that, if I see a way to remove my foes from the ring then rest assured I will take it." Eliza would then quietly wait for the next question.

"Speaking of which, you'll be going up against some tough foes, and not just men like before. You'll be facing Clyde Gastin again, but also fan favorite, Johnny Higurashi. Not mention women, like the lustful Ro Laren, and the crazy catgirl, Bree. This is going to require a wide range of strategies, of course. Anyone you'll be particularly looking to eliminate, even team up with?"

Ah, Clyde Gastin, she had gone up against him in the past. Seemed like a likable sort. She didn't know the name Kendra, Eliza had heard of Bree being nuts. Ro, Eliza knew she was a friend of the champ but not much else. And Johnny, Eliza had no idea on him. "Well, I consider Mr. Clyde Gastin to be a decent man, so I might be inclined to help him briefly. Other than that I will handle the situation as it develops, when one is dancing one must always have the correct move in mind in a second. Otherwise, disaster! Listen, Ms. Patty-

"O' Malley."

"-I hope I'm not rude, but I do need to get going. Some last second preperations. Good evening."Eliza said, giving a bow before walking past the reporter.

"And there she goes folks!" Ran panned back to catch Eliza and Patty in the same shot as the ballerina left. "The Dancing Passion surely lives up to her name, but passion alone won't be enough for this battle? Will this freshly bloomed rose endure the storm's bitter onslaught? Stay tuned!"

No...no. Patty was not looking forward to this at all.

The first two interviews had been reasonably pleasant, if not a little odd, at times. Considering Clyde was in terrible pain, his had gone better than expected, and Eliza was polite, if somewhat aloof. Weirdness was to be expected with wrestlers, they were an eccentric breed. She knew that going in. She expected it. She even welcomed it. After all, that was what her viewers wanted, a little something different from the norm. Unorthodox.

But Poison...Poison was a little different. Poison scared Patty.

She walked through the staging area with her mace clutched tightly underneath her skirt, not sure what to expect, as Ran followed close behind. She knew the pink punk was nearby, a few of the stagehands had warned her, but she didn’t know what to expect from this woman. She was a Thorn of the Rose, one of Mellisa Seller’s new attack dogs, and a woman with a reputation of unscrupulous behavior. Not one to be messed with on a good day, and this probably did not qualify as a good day.

But Patty had to mess with her. That was the job. She had to be fearless, always seek the story. Even if that meant dealing with a woman who could snap her in two with a gleeful smile on her face....

Leaning against a wall, pretending to be on the side while actually doing a very good job to be the center of attention, Poison stood chewing gum casually while she occupied herself with a nail file, quite literally sharpening her claws. She was wearing her usual attire, tiny leather shorts that didn't left much to the imagination, especially because they weren't fully buttoned, and a white torn tank top that did an even worse job covering her ample breasts. A pair of pink high heels and a biker hat completed her attire as Poison didn't believe in underwear and loved to show just how firm her breasts were.

Poison was in an usual good mood. She had a big event coming up and a Battle Royale, nonetheless. That promised a lot of opportunities to cause mayhem, hurt and humiliate people, and Poison has already seen a few names in the list of contenders that she would love to hurt. Winning for her wasn't so important but she had been given a few objectives for the match from Melissa, and although she hated taking orders it seemed like a good idea to follow those instructions for now.

Suddenly Poison felt someone approaching and raised her head to look at the girl and camera guy that were coming directly towards her. She rolled her eyes and sighed, as if she was bothered to no end by the idea of having to deal with anyone, but the truth was that Poison loved to be interviewed. More opportunities to piss and embarrass people.

Patty had to give Poison credit for one thing: The woman stood out in a crowd. It wasn't just the pink hair, which was surprisingly not uncommon on this island. No, it was her entire look. This was the look of a woman who gave not single damn what anyone thought about her, who put everything on display. AFW girls weren't exactly known for their modesty, but Poison held nothing back.

It was admirable, in a way, but mostly creepy. Really friggin’ creepy.

Patty approached with Ran close behind, but unlike the other interviews she decided to stay out of Poison's whipping range and kept a comfortable distance. "Excuse me, Ms..." Come to think of it, what was Poison's real name? Did she even have one? All the pages Patty looked up just called her by the one name. "...Ms. Poison? Do you have a moment or two? I'm Patty O' Malley with Breaking the Tension! and I was hoping to get a word in with you before the royale, but I see that you're busy...filing your nails down into dagger-sharp points, so if you'd like me to move on, I'd totally understand..."

Ah, a bit of strategy, here. If Poison told her to go away, she could move on and save face with her audience AND not have to worry about getting maimed. Brilliant. Brilliant.

Poison acted as if she was annoyed by the reporter girl, rolling her eyes and sighing, but she was actually quite amused. She took note of how the cute reporter kept her distance and couldn't help but giggle a bit. She always had fun intimidating other people. Patty seemed all too willing to drop the interview and run away, and since that was what Patty wanted, Poison decided not to let her.

Although it wasn't a question, the cute reporter had mentioned her nails and so Poison decided to take on that to start the conversation while she looked for a way to make Patty miserable. "Like them?" Poison asked with a wicked yet cute smile as she moved a hand in front of Patty's face, showing her the pink sharpened nails.

Patty took a step back as Poison neared her and held her fingers up, giving a closer look than any sane person would ever want. She only had a meager 5"1', and Poison's 5"9' seemed to tower over her, no doubt helped by her high heels.

"Yes, they're very..." Dangerous? Creepy? Indicative of a sociopathic lifestyle? "...pretty." She came out with her best fake laugh. She felt like she was trying to charm a snake with a broken flute.

Ran coughed behind her and helped Patty center her mind, focus on what needed to be done. The sooner they asked the question, the sooner Patty could go back to not having a nervous breakdown. "I'll just start...if that's okay with you, Ms. Poison. That is okay with you, right?"

"Sure thing, cutie. Fire away!" Poison said almost friendly as she booped the tip of Patty's nose with the tip of her index finger, letting her sharp nail scratch Patty just a tiny bit. Then she leaned back on the wall again and continued to chew her bubble gum, taking a second to look and wink at Ran.

"Ow!" Patty hopped back and checked her nose to make sure Poison hadn't broken skin, kind of a huge deal for someone whose face needed to be as pristine as possible for the cameras. Fortunately, it was just a scratch. Patty rubbed it off and took another step back, trying to keep a safe distance. She was starting to wonder if that was physically feasible, thought.

"Right, then.” She huffed and tried to relax as she brought the microphone up. Business. Get to business. "We've learned recently that you're part of Tension's newest faction, Thorns of the Rose, a group assembled by none other than Melissa Sellers herself. Even though the other members have already participated in a match tonight, there are rumors circulating that they might still play a part in the battle royal, and that you and the other Thorns are looking to secure the Tension World Title through unscrupulous means. Do you have any answer to these accusations?"

Poison looked uninterested and continued chewing her gum, even making a bubble and popping it while Patty talked. Once the cute reporter had finished, Poison crossed her arms in front of her big chest and tried to put on a serious look for the camera without much success. She stood there waiting for Patty to come closer with the mic only because she had already noticed how uncomfortable Patty felt when close to her.

"Lies... nothing but lies made by petty and talentless people that have no other way to deal with the fact that they are not up to the challenge." Poison said with glee still trying to act serious and as if she was offended by the accusation. "Miss Seller's group was created to ensure that only the top quality talent holds the important spots in Tension. And that is a huge task since Tension has been plagued by way too many weak and talentless individuals, mostly boys, that need to be put down like the sick puppies they are. But we will never EVER resort to unscrupulous means... there is simply no need." Poison said unable to hide her cute malicious and lovely smile as she had a hard time not laughing.

Patty jumped a little at the bubblegum pop, her nerves getting more and more frayed by the moment. She inched closer, daring to be within Poison's range for the sake of decent audio.

"I...suppose you have point." She gulped before moving on, summoning her courage, just like her father had when he covered Desert Storm from the ground. This was slightly less dangerous. Slightly. "But if Tension is dominated by such weak males, wouldn't some of the blame lie with Melissa Sellers? And how could it be that we've only had male world champions so far?"

Poison sensed Patty's nervousness, almost tasted it and she decided to have a bit of fun with it by suddenly pushing herself up from the wall where she was leaning against to get a bit closer to the cute reporter, acting as if she was a bit pissed with the questions. "Darling... it would be very stupid to blame Melissa for the weakness of others. I think of anyone is to blame for their inability to compete... it is the male gender. "

"As for the male champions..." Poison added with a lovely wicked smirk. "That happened more out of pity than anything else and it is a mistake that will soon be corrected."

Patty backed away as Poison neared her - or tried to, anyway, since there was a little matter of the wall behind her to deal with. She tried to slide along it and get out of Poison's shadow, throwing out fake laughter every step of the way. One more question, then she could go back to not having heart attacks.

"Let's speak hypothetically for a moment. If you were to win the royale and go on to become the new Tension Champion, what would be first on your agenda? How would the title reign of a woman be different from that of the previous two men?" She made her way towards Ran, probably making for an awkward shot. It was nothing they couldn't cover over with some stock footage, maybe throw in a few clips from the royale itself to mask the moment. The video would be fine, she was more worried about her own body. Body scars would probably lose her a handful of subscribers.

Poison kept moving towards Patty in what had become a very very slow chase. Poison was no reporter but she still had very good intuition about how she looked when on camera. So after chasing Patty out of the scene she turned around so it was all her, her and only her on the screen, to address the audience directly instead of Patty.

"There is no need to speak hypothetically." Poison said with a lovely evil smirk. "We can speak about what would happen WHEN I become the new Tension champ!" she added. Poison liked to brag, she hasn't really though about winning this thing. Her only interest was wrecking havoc and ruining the day of a few guys and girls. She had made a list.

"When I win this while thing..." Poison said theatrically. "...a lot of things are going to change. The most important of them all. Boys will learn their place. At my feet!" Poison ended, trying hard not to giggle as she pointed with one finger down to her shoes.

Most times, Patty would have encouraged her subjects to face her and not the camera, but Poison was a special woman and this was a special case - the less she looked at Patty, the safer she felt. Ran was sweating a bit, instinctively backing away as the pink-haired she-devil approached.

"Well I'm sure we'll all look forward to that!" Patty said, after having the most forced, uncomfortable laugh of her entire life. "Well, I'm sure you have important preparations to do, so we'll just get out of your hair." Poison's insanely long, blindingly pink hair...

She started to scoot away with a smile on her face the entire time, motioning for Ran to follow along. No sudden moves, no sudden moves...

After the harrowing experience with Poison, Patty was starting to get a little vexed by the distinct lack of testosterone in her interviews so far. Not that she had a problem with interviewing her own gender - when they didn't try to maim, choke, or body slam her, anyway - but, as Tension interviewer, she realized that her fanbase consisted not just of horny teenage boys and gay women. No, she had to appeal to the horny teenage girls and gay men, too. And while Clyde wasn't a bad looker, his previous fight had mused him up a bit.

She needed someone fresh. Raw. Cute. Someone that made all the ladies go wild and all the men get jealous. She needed Johnny Higurashi.

With both of them looking forward to this one the most, Patty and Ran scurried about the staging area, asking around for Johnny and keeping their eyes open for that trademark silver hair and those rippling muscles.

Johnny was standing by the entrance ramp. It would be his turn soon enough and he couldn't wait to get in the ring. Forgoing the usual shirt tossing to the crowd, the silver haired Higurashi was already clad only in his black baggy shorts, knee pads and wrestling boots. While he waited, he took a bottle of water and poured it over his head, letting the water cool him off as it rivuletted down his glistening chest and hard, chiseled abs.

The moment Patty found Johnny, she motioned for Ran to take up position and get some shots of him in glorious 1080p. On the off chance he didn't want to talk, they could always used the footage of him pouring water over himself, maybe stick it in around the end of the video. If he won, it would be the perfect bookend. Especially with the slow motion

"Mr. Higurashi!" Patty skipped over towards him as Ran got into position, covering her full approach. "I'm Patty O' Malley with Breaking the Tension!, the undisputed voice of the AFW fanbase. Can we get a few quick words from you before you go out?"

Johnny raised an eyebrow as his name was called out. He turned and saw some happy looking chick coming at him at a brisk pace while a camerawoman flashed pics of him from behind. After the Shauna incident, he was a little wary of cameras but at the same time, he WAS used to them. Everyone always wanted pics of his body. He couldn't blame them. "Uh, yo, dude." He said. He knew of the thing Patty was from but he hadn't seen or read whatever she had going on. At least if she was back here she probably WAS with the company. He ran his fingers through his wet, silvery hair. "Just call me Johnny, man. And, whatever ya want, ya better hurry." He said, throwing a thumb at the ticking down clock and flashing Patty a bright grin.

Patty made her best schoolgirl giggle and threw on the blush. "Right, right, you've got a busy night ahead of you...Johnny." She gave him a playful slap on his incredibly ripped chest. It looked hard enough to grate cheese on. She was tempted to try. "We won't take up too much of your time."

She stepped away and let Ran get him in the center as she held out the microphone. "Let's get the obvious out of the way - you're the most experienced and strongest wrestler participating tonight out of the known contestants. The obvious odds-on favorite, but the AFW is nothing if not surprising. Out of the other contestants, who do you feel will be your biggest threat tonight?"

Johnny blushed when Patty patted his chest. He wasn't really a look-but-don't-touch guy. A little touching was okay, especially his chest. But only a little. He turned his head to give Ran the best view she could get and then when Patty asked her question, he titled his head. "Uh, I dunno man. Ro, maybe. She's the only one in there that beat me. Not that I've fought them all or anything. Maybe Poison cause I can't keep an eye on JUST her. It's a battle royale, dude. Anyone can beat anyone if they get the right opportunity. I just hope I come out on top and have some fun, too. I'm excited to kick some ass, man."

She nodded along while Johnny talked shop, letting him shine on the camera. He had a good face for the screen, handled himself well, clearly used to the spotlight. "That's the right attitude. However, you have to admit that, as far as gender is concerned, the deck is a little oddly stacked against you. There are only two males competing in this royale, and one of them, Clyde, has already been through a brutal match already. You'll be the only fresh man in that ring. What are your thoughts on that? Female favoritism? Any insight into Melissa's motives?"

"Man, I dunno. If the GM wants a chick to be champ so bad, then she should just find one that can kick John's butt instead of going through all this trouble. Maybe she wants more than just that. I don't really know, man. Sometimes I feel like someone's out ta get me but really, I ain't got time for stuff like that and junk. I just gotta focus on taken out who's in fronta me. I feel bad for Clyde though. Puttin' him in the handicap match is one thing but sendin' him here too? And first. He musta really pissed someone off." Johnny shrugged.

"So it would seem." She shrugged along with him. Poor, poor Clyde. "And we have to keep in mind, winning here tonight only determines the #1 contender. John Mitchell doesn't have a history of losing here in the AFW. But let's play with a hypothetical for the moment." She scooted in, getting close enough to brush shoulders. "Let's say you win. You become the champion. The Tension belt is still relatively new, especially compared to the Friction belts. We've had two champions so far, not much history. As champion, what will you do, if anything, to give the title a legacy worth remembering? How do you think your reign as champion would affect the brand as a whole?"


Johnny puffed out his chest. That was easy enough. "I'll go out into the arena and set the belt in the middle of the ring and tell anyone who wants a piece of it to come down and fight me! One on one of course, like a man, or a tough ass chick as the case may be!" Johnny then looked at Patty. "Man, I'm a pretty simple dude. I don't really care about that. I wanna be champ, yeah, but what anyone else thinks of me, I just wanna kick a lot of butt. I'll let my actions do the talkin, man."  

"Bold words, but you and your family have a history of backing up what they say." She backed off and glanced at the clock. "Well, it seems that's all the time we have together...for now. If you win, you can bet we'll be seeing a lot more of each other." She gave him a sly wink, setting the groundwork for a future exclusive. "This is Patty O' Malley, signing off with challenger - possibly champion - Johnny Higurashi."

Patty and Ran continued their journey through the staging area, now in pursuit of more elusive prey. There were seven would-be contenders in the eight-man battle royale that everyone knew about, and a mystery eight that was hidden to all but a choice few. That meant Patty had a rare opportunity to get the most exclusive of exclusive interviews. The chance to interview a rising star before his or her light even began to shine.

Now, if she could only find him...

It was a little irritating. Her inside source had apparently not been so inside that he could figure out who the final challenger would be, which left her in limbo. But she had a relatively solid method of zeroing in on the new person: simply walk around until she saw someone dressed in tights that she didn't recognize. With her extensive knowledge of the Tension roster, it would be easy, like picking out a bright, pink, glowing needle in a haystack.

"Keep your eyes peeled, Ran." Patty looked about as they continued on, occasionally swerving out of the backstage crew's way as they hurried about. "I get the feeling we're close..."

Reira finished putting her fingerless gloves on to complete her outfit, leaving the door of the storage cupboard she was in open so she could hear her cue, the new girl stretching and shadowboxing, getting herself warmed up for the battle royal. She had been told to stay hidden, that she was going to be a mystery opponent. She didn't care. She just wanted to go out, hurt somebody, and finally show what she could do.

"What the..."

Reira turned as she heard somebody yell in her direction, seeing some bratty looking thing moving towards her, holding a microphone. An interviewer...fantastic. The last thing Reira needed, or wanted for that matter, was some idiot with a camera questioning her like they had some right.

As the mike got closer, Reira growled and swung her arm, backhanding the microphone away from her and, if Patty didn't have a good grip, out of the girls hands as well, as Reira turned towards them with a scowl on her face.

"Will you get the hell out of here!? I've got enough to deal with without some brats bugging me! Go get an interview from one of the cock whores around here instead!"

Patty didn't need to be maliciously threatened twice - once was more than enough for her to get the picture.

She ran to pick up her ludicrously expensive Best Buy microphone and backed away, shaking it at...whoever this was. "Fine! I was going to offer you a chance to make yourself known to the world, but now you get to live in obscurity! I'm going to put this on Youtube, and all of my followers with totally dislike your account and you'll never get any subscribers and they'll hound you on Twitter from now until the end of time! Just wait and see! I'm going to troll you Hard!"

Patty said all of this while she backed with one hand holding out a can of mace, ready to spray if the woman closed in. "You only get one shot with Patty O' Malley, and you just blew it!"

Reira just growled and slammed the door closed after the annoying girl had gotten out. She didn't give a crap about some pathetic wannabe with a youtube channel. No, the real spotlight was out there, in the ring, and Reira was finally going to get her chance to take it for herself.