Riyu Kikuchi vs. Suzumi "The Tsunami" Ishikawa

"Hggh!!!" With what was once an amicable meeting between between two former Wrestle Angels devolving into sheer pandemonium backstage, Mikoto couldn't help but wonder where it all went horribly wrong and how the situation had gotten to this point. She clamped her hands around Suzu's midriff, now pressing her cheek into her partner's sweaty chest as she extended her leg behind her to help afford some leverage in in her forceful though apparently fruitless attempts to keep Suzu at bay.

Though as if by some miracle the crowd dissipated and Miko nearly tumbled forward once Suzu ran off along with Chris back through the curtains, leaving the priestess all on her lonesome with a confused expression until she spied the monitor.

"...no...no not again..." Miko went pale with dread once the purple mane of Hibiki flashed on screen, flashbacks of her own decimation by the Purple Dragon replaying in her head. The priestess may be later than the others getting to ringside, but she sped off just the same intending to do whatever she could to help Riyu and make up for all their time bickering like children amongst themselves.

Hibiki wanted to gloat. She wanted to sneer and insult Riyu and tell her just what a piece of trash that she and the rest of the Wrestle Angels really were. She knew she didn't have time for that, though. After her last attack on Mikoto and Miss USA, she was fully aware that people would be keeping an eye on future matches starring her fellow former Wrestle Angels, and she knew she wouldn't be able to take her time tearing them apart anymore.

A pity, really.

She reached down, and grabbed Riyu by her arm, roughly jerking the girl up to her feet. "Come on," she snarled, taking a moment to make sure her grip was nice and tight, before suddenly pulling Riyu around, trying to send her straight towards the ropes with a big, hard Irish whip, putting all of her strength into it in hopes of sending the smaller girl straight out of the ring!

Riyu was practically out on her feet, body sent flying through the top and middle ropes and hitting the floor with a sick smacking sound, Hibiki getting booed loudly as Riyu lay outside the ring, whimpering.

Coming to the curtain, Chris stopped and looked behind her. To her surprise and horror she saw Suzumi behind her, and Mikoto hurrying to catch up with the Tsunami.

"Stay back!" Chris told Suzumi sternly, looking her in the eyes. "You've done enough for one night!"

Perhaps it was unfair, but Chris felt that if Suzumi hadn't distracted her, she would have been able to stop Hibiki's attack before it started.

Turning to the tech, she held out her hand.
"Cue up my music and hand me a mic!" Chris said hurriedly. Her mind raced as she thought about how to handle this. Maybe, despite what happened to Riyu, Chris could come up with a win of sorts and draw Hibiki's focus to her instead of the others.

She just had to continue the charade.

When Mikoto came up, Chris looked at her.
"Please, after I go out there, have the medical people go get Riyu. No matter what happens, or what I say, Riyu needs help, but I can't make sure she gets it. Help her."

With that, she stepped through the curtain as her theme, Avenging Angel began to play. The crowd began to boo so quickly Chris thought it might be out of reflex.

"Hibiki. Well, well." Chris called. "I heard you were here, but I didn't believe it. I mean, the terrifying Purple Dragon reduced to beating on the walking wounded? How the mighty have fallen. Tsk tsk."

She gave a the purple maned Hibiki a cold smile. Although,  the whole time as she approached the ring, she made to move towards the side away from Riyu, so that if Hibiki were to keep an eye on her, she'd have to turn away from the stricken wrestler.....

Hibiki didn't waste any time. She took off after she released Riyu into the whip, sliding out of the ring almost as fast as Riyu flew out of it. She stepped towards the smaller girl, and reached down, grabbing her by her hair, starting to jerk her up to her feet, when suddenly...

That music.

Hibiki would have known Chris' music anywhere. That terrible, awful theme, heralding the very symbol of the company that she had left behind. Hibiki wanted nothing more then to break her, to do to Chris what she planned on doing to every single Wrestle Angel she could get her hands on. But first though, she had other things to do.

"Stay back!" she snarled towards the blonde giant, her grip on Riyu's hair tightening, her eyes narrowing towards her fellow former Wrestle Angel. "If you take even a single step closer, I swear to you that I'll end this bitch's career right here and right now, do you understand me?"

She gave Riyu another pull, tugging her up to her feet, as her lips curled up into a cruel, twisted smile. "If you don't believe me, just try it. You saw what I did to the others. I'm more then willing to go even further then that with this sorry bitch."

Well, Chris had to admit, this was unexpected. She had guessed that Hibiki would seize the chance to have revenge on the one soul that the Wrestle Angels as a whole seemed to blame for their woes. That she would seize the moment to attack, giving people a chance to get to Riyu.

Playing her poker face, Chris sighed and shook her head, stopping her approach.
"You know, I would have expected more from you, Hibiki." she said loftily. "You came out awhile back, with this talk about taking your revenge. Proving that the Angels are nothing. That you would defeat them, and prove how you're oh so superior than them. And how do you prove that? By coming out and attacking them when they're already tired and injured. Oh, I'm so impressed, it almost makes me want one of those cute Puff the Magic Dragon tattoos." The last sentence was heavily laced with sarcasm as she nodded at Hibiki's leg.

The Fallen Angel shook her head before continuing. Here came the charade, the lie, and it had to be convincing.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm no friend to any of those Angels. Nor to you. As far as I'm concerned you're all weak. You lay your failings and shortcomings at my door and cry about things not being fair. But whenever I decide it's time for one of the Angels to fall, she will be rested, she will be healthy, and we will be face to face in the ring. Then when it's all said and done, and she's watching me leave after I've thrown what's left of her to the canvas, she's left with that sinking feeling, the despair of knowing she fought me at her best....and it wasn't enough." she said, her voice taking on a confident, and somewhat cruel air.

"So, how about it Hibiki?" she raised an eyebrow. "Toss the little girl aside and step up to someone from the big leagues..."

Waiting with bated breath in the small opening between the ramp and the barricade, Mikoto kept her head ducked low to keep her presence practically unnoticeable while Chris Morgan coaxed the Purple Dragon into releasing poor Riyu before she made good on her threat. After having been given direct instructions by The Phenom, Mikoto realized that by being aware of Chris' deception, she had become an accomplice in maintaining the illusion by helping her rescue Riyu. Perhaps being the sole confidant Chris could speak to about these matters now...

She peered up with a saddened expression at how Chris played her role perfectly as the W.A. villain she built herself up to be, it was a role so expertly weaved and mastered that it was an almost seamless transition. Mikoto had new-found respect for Chris and how she shouldered such a heavy burden in this villainous portrayal, but for now her main concern was Riyu's safety. Keeping the EMT crew behind her at bay with a raised hand until the most opportune time, Miko prayed the hostage situation would end favorably...

Hibiki narrowed her eyes at Chris, trying her best not to scoff at her. She knew what the woman was trying, and she wasn't going to fall for it.

As Chris spoke, she adjusted her hold on Riyu, pulling her into a tight, close headlock, and when the blonde finally made her challenge, Hibiki spoke up again.

"Don't you worry one bit, Morgan. I'm coming for you soon enough," she snarled, keeping a careful eye on Chris. "But for right now? I'm not worried about winning matches or playing nice. I'm here to send a message." She gave Riyu's neck a sudden squeeze, and smirked towards Chris.

"But you know what? I'm in a good mood tonight, so I'll play your game...but I'm going to play it on my terms. Here's what you're going to do, blondie. You're going to go back up that ramp, nice and easy. When you get to the top, I'll let your bitch here go. Once I let her go, I'll leave, and then you can come play the hero and come save her or whatever it is that you're out here to do. Then, you can I can work things out between us later. How's that sound, hm?"

Chris cocked her head to one side, and crossed her arms over her chest, considering Hibiki's words. The problem was, if she backed away, Chris had no guarantee that the Purple Dragon would keep her word and release the smaller Riyu without harming any further. In fact, she might even guess that Hibiki would do it anyway, out of spite.

"Oh? And what is this message of yours?" Chris asked. "Because to me it sounds like 'I can't beat someone unless I attack them while they're so hurt and and exhausted that they can barely stand'."

Chris then gave a shrug.
"Here's the thing, Hibiki. We're at an impasse. You can do something to my future prey, sure. But if you do, I'm going to put you down so fast, you'll hit the floor before she does. Let her be, and I'll let this go, and call it....a misunderstanding. Go and beat wrestlers from another league around. I hear the Rumble Roses are here in force...."

Hibiki scowled at Chris, shaking her head as she clenched her arm tighter around Riyu's neck. "You just don't get it, do you?" She answered back towards the blonde, her voice cold, and stern, and full of malice towards the Wrestle Angel. "These girls aren't your prey. They're mine, end of story. So I'll tell you again...back the fuck off, or I'll end this girl's career right now, plain and simple."

She flashed another sneer at Chris, watching the woman carefully and closely. "But by all means, go ahead and make your little threats. I'm sure the other Angels back there watching would love to know that this girl's blood is on your hands. I'm sure that'll make you a ton of friends backstage..."