Locker Room Meeting

Alaina gingerly sat down on the bench burying her head in her hands. She was taking the fight to Killer King, and he pulled a cheap shot to get disqualified.... and proceed to annihilate Alaina using two of his best moves. She was out for a few minutes, only waking after he had left the ring.

Alaina was still disgusted by the fact that he was able to lay her out so easily. She'd been at her best and yet it wasn't enough. She hated that feeling. If she wanted another match with King, she really had to improve a great deal. The fans were really behind her in that match and she knew if she could show King in the ring that women weren't just object to push around they would really get behind her.

Her head was still woozy, and she wanted to make sure she wouldn't slip in the shower. The last thing she needed was a second knockout today....

Kozue had few friends. A year ago, she'd had virtually no friends at all, so this was actually a massive improvement for her.

It might not have seemed like much, but for the first time in a long while, she was actually establishing connections and learning about individuals and having some real semblance of a healthy, functioning, normal social life. There were people she could count on, now. People who she could expect to be there when she needed them.

So, when Kozue saw one of those people on the television getting the shit slammed out of her by King - a guy who she could only describe at the most vile, fucked up, digusting piece of human filth she'd ever met in her entire life - she was...distressed. Extremely, maddeningly, amazingly, blindingly distressed.

She didn't have a match tonight, but Kozue had been hanging Tokyo, anyway, winding down after a hard day of getting ran around the dojo by Junko. She'd been in an arena, but not the Tension one - she'd found a neat little roller rink with a roller derby game going on, and was just about to settle in and watch when she caught the match on a television screen near the entrance. Alaina did well...better than most of the girls who Killer King went up against, herself included. But, in the end, there was really no preparing for just how much of a massive dick he was and how far he'd go to be the last one standing in a match.

Kozue's night of roller derby was canceled.

She made her way to the arena as fast as she could through the traffic, squeezing by the fans as they made their way out of the arena. She had the usual hard time with security as she made her way in - with her hair down and her blue jeans and her blue and black track jacket, she looked like some random girl off the street trying to creep in for a few autographs. For some reason, people got the impression that she wore the ninja outfit all the time.

But she made her way through after a little hassle and hopped on back to the lockerroom, figuring Alaina would still be around. Kozue had shot her a text on the way to the arena, but hadn't gotten a response back, which meant she was probably busy getting dressed. Probably. With an ass like Killer King...

She hurried her steps and burst into the lockerroom, looking left and right and letting out a sigh when she saw some of Alaina's stuff. "Hey, Cali!" She called out as the door closed behind her. "You still in here?"

Alaina looked up, still rubbing her head as she heard a familiar voice calling out. "Kozue? What are you doing here?"

Alaina finally saw Kozue and pat the bench next to her, motioning for Kozue to come over. Right now seeing a friendly face made all the difference in the world. She didn't feel alone, and the outcome of that last match seemed to be much further away than it had been just moments before. "What brings you in here this late?? Got a midnight match lined up?"

Kouze could see that Alaina was capable of speech, able to stand up on her own power, and not getting ganged up on by the gaggle of doofuses that King was using as a hit squad these days. Those were all good signs, but she frankly wouldn't be breathing normally until they were both far away from the arena.

"I saw my friend getting mauled by an ape on national television, where the hell else would I be?" There was a little more edge in her voice than she wanted to direct at Alaina, but she couldn't help leaking some of it her way. There was probably still a little residue in her brain from the shitstorm she'd went through in her match wit Kent Quick a couple of weeks back, too. That wasn't helping things.

She came over, hands on hips, and put one unlaced sneaker on the bench. Didn't feel quite like sitting just right now. "Know you're tough, but fuck, he slammed you hard. Twice. Feeling okay?"

"Other than a splitting headache and a throbbing pain in my back I am all right." Alaina said with a shrug before looking at Kozue with a smile. "At least I got to lift him off his feet. Barely. Dunno if any other lady ever has. Hell, I am sure someone has but I might be the first normal sized, non-roided out lady to."

Alaina arced her back, trying to stretch it a bit. "You didn't have to worry about me, but...ya know, thanks. I mean, I have been beaten down hard before, but never by anyone so big. Its like I need to fight perfectly because only a few hits from him and I am floored! Usually against women I can absorb a bit more...." Alaina said as she rubbed her head.

Alaina realizes she had rambled non-stop about her match, probably boring Kozue to death. "I am done ranting, I promise. How are things with you? Whats new and exciting?"

Alaina was right about that much - lifting up King like that was impressive. The only other person who'd ever pulled that off was Johnny, so far as Kozue knew, and he was a walking freak of nature. King was probably close to being twice Alaina's size, and she'd still pulled it off without her spine snapping like a toothpick.

Which made things just that more troubling, really. Win or lose, she'd shown him up. No way King would let that go. Ever. "It's not just you getting beat down that's got me worried, it's just..."

She sighed and finally sat down. Standing up and having her head spin like this was just making her stressed. More than she would've been naturally, anyway.  "Look, you're a grown woman, you can make your own decisions, I know, but..." She pushed a few of her auburn strands away from her face, so she could get a clear look on Alaina. "Why'd you come here to take on King? Do you know what he's like?"

Alaina let out a sigh as she looked up at the ceiling before making eye contact with Kozue again. "They offered the contract to go up against King. I figured that maybe fans thought I was the woman who could put hi in his place or something."

Alaina shook her head and let out an exasperated laugh as she continued. "Was it stupid of me? Yeah. He is a giant depraved monster who has his way with women but I couldn't back down from a challenge. That and there's... there is more to it." Alaina recalled her nurse days, working with rape victims. There was no way she could pass up a chance to take the fight to someone like King after helping them through their pain, sharing their pain....

A part of Kozue wanted to just be mad at Alaina, get pissed off for making her get so worked up and putting herself in such a situation in the first place, but...well, it wasn't a good idea, but it wasn't a bad one. King needed a little more punishment than a kick to the face. Hell, a lot more. She couldn't blame Alaina for wanting to dish it out. "Not stupid, no."

Kozue kept it quiet for now. Not quite the moment. She pulled up her legs and sat on the bench with her knees curled, leaning Alaina's way with an ear to listen. "Like what?"

"At my old job I worked with rape victims. I saw what they went through. I tried to comfort them as best I could, but it was never enough. People like him have to pay.... how could I pass up a shot to take the fight to him?"

Alaina looked over at Kozue, noticing for the first time the true extent of her worry. "I... I know you were worried and I am sorry but I am a big girl, you don't have to worry about me."

"I know you're a big girl," Kozue managed to lighten up a few shades and gave Alaina a little elbow in the side. From the sound of things, she could use a little more brightness at the moment. "Believe me - I know. And I can understand wanting to punch King in the face. Every girl at Tension understands that. Every guy. All of us."

She brought her hand up and gave Alaina a pat on the shoulder. "You know what gets me the most out of it all, though? Even if you'd beat him and made him pay...it would've felt good, sure. Great. But it wouldn't change anything. And I know that's a crap thing to say, but it's the truth."