Scare Tactics

The lights in the Tension arena darken, blacking out the interior of the arena save for the errant camera-flashes of some particularly excited shutterbugs in the audience.

Suddenly, a dark red spotlight kicks on from directly above the ring, in tandem with incredibly recognizable, over the top music. A figure begins to lower from the rafters on wire, arms spread to either side. The spotlight casts the figure into a distorted silhouette, but for the gnarled, inhuman face and billowing of its cloak. It descends at an ominous glide, and once it alights in the center of the ring, it shifts just enough to detach from the cord, which quickly withdraws back into the shadowy recesses above.

The spotlight shuts off and the music cuts out. In an instant, the arena lights are back on. The figure grabs onto the shoulder of its outerwear and the tip of its elongated snout, and with a quick spin on heel, casts both cloak and mask aside to reveal Blaise Cameron! He seems hardly able to contain himself, and soon bubbles over with musical, lighthearted laughter. He trots to the edge of the ring and leans over, motioning to the commentator's table for a microphone. "Gimme that a sec'!"

It doesn't take long before chrome has found its way into his hand, and the teen trots back to the center of the ring with a bright smile. "Hahah! Hi, Kyoto! How's my favorite audience tonight!?" He turns his head and points the microphone out to the audience, as if to amplify their response. It isn't necessary. "I never would've thought of myself as, y'know, scary, but damn it if those Valkyries didn't prove me wrong!"

He resumes his spirited trot to a corner of the ring and quickly hops up to sit on the turnbuckle, quickly assuming a conversational, posture, elbow propped to knee and microphone held at a relaxed angle. "Nono, I hear ya," he continues. "I lost that one. But I lost it because they knew what was comin'. They knew what was comin', and they freaked."

His head cocks to the side. "Why, you ask?" He leans in as if sharing a secret, and lowers his voice to a stage whisper, "Because they're weak." Blaise straightens his back again and places his free hand to his mouth, eyes shifting left, then right, as though he'd just swore for the first time. The behavior is quickly abandoned with a soft laugh. "Hey, it's true! The only way they get ahead is by cheating and bullying people! So when they saw me about to take down their biggest and baddest, they panicked. That whoooole facade of being unstoppable was crumbling right in front of'em. And without that facade, that lie, they're nothing."

The teen narrows his eyes and gives a wicked little smile. "I terrified them."

His legs swing out and he pivots, smoothly dropping to the mat on his feet again. He strolls along the mat while continuing, "But they still cost me my win! And I'm here tonight to say I'm not okay with that!" He pivots to the entry ramp as proxy, "If you think you can just roll me over, you're dead wrong! I'm gonna show you that not everyone's gonna buckle under your pressure! Not everyone's gonna flinch at your numbers! There will be people who stand up to thugs like you here in Kyoto, and I'm one of'em!"

Blaise didn't have to wait long. The Valkyries just so happened to be hanging around backstage. Enjoying the free show, getting ready to plan a little more fun. None of them had a match this week, but Mako wasn't about to let that niggling little detail effect her too much. Things were going well so far. Amazing, really. The little video Divine shot with Yamato was gauranteed to turn heads in the right direction, and now all Mako had to do was make one, maybe two, more examples to really drive the point home. The only real question was who would be the lucky victims?

Surprise, surprise, the fun came straight to her.

The music played. The boos started. Soon enough the objects of their hate started to make their way down the ramp. They were all decked out in their usual outfits, straight off of the streets, tight leather all over. Mako even had her helmet on, and when she removed it, there was a nice, wide smile on her face.

Divine had a similar smile. Hers was a little more devious, a little more playful, like a cat that had found the perfect mouse to play with. Stone, though? Not a grin. Not even a smirk. Hers was a stone cold grimace, fixed straight at Blaise, shaking her head. "Goddamned idiot..."

Mako heard enough of her muttering to get the gist of what Stone was saying, but it didn't matter. Stone was pissed, but she'd do what her leader wanted. What else mattered?

The Valkyries waited at the top of the ramp, not going down just yet. Let the suspense build a little, and Mako wanted to have a few words with Blaise.

One of the stagehands passed a microphone off to her and she happily took it, whistling a little diddy before she spoke.

"You. Terrify. Me?" She had a little laugh and rubbed her chin. "That's funny. That's really funny, Blaise. You know why that's funny?" Mako cocked her head to the side. "You and I grew up in different worlds. Completely different. You? I'm betting it was some nice, posh little neighborhood. Surburbia. Clean cut, white bread, smooth paved roads, cops that come within a reasonable time frame of the period in which they were called. Good stuff."

She spun around on her heel and pointed at her "But me? I grew up in the sort of place that people like you drive five minutes out of your way to avoid. The people I grew up with beat the shit out of people like you. They leave them laying bloody in an alley somewhere, with a missing wallet. That's my world, Blaise. That's what I know. And I'm supposed to be afraid of you? That's what you think? Please."

She folded her arms and stood between her girls, feeling fifty feet tall instead of five. "So, okay, dumbass. I'm curious. How exactly are you expecting this to go? What's your plan?"

Blaise was hoping someone would make an appearance, but he should've expected the whole trio to appear. If anything could be said of them, they were a unit. But don't look to him to give them any pats on the back for that. You only laud a villain when they've fallen under the 'reformed' pile.

As she talks, the teen confidently smiles and nods along, daring them to break his stride. It's a tense moment, to be sure, and if the three of them rushed the ring, he'd probably be screwed. He's banking on their pride preventing it - and if he's got the right read on their ringleader, he can feel fairly safe there. It seemed to be the driving force behind everything they did.

"Yeah. Everyone in this stadium got to see you'n your lackey wet yourselves scrambling for the ring. But I'll humor ya."

Blaise strolls to the ropes facing their ramp and leans over them. "You want me to buy that you're straight edge? That you're all hardcore? That those threads ain't from a Halloween you just won't outgrow? Get in the ring with me. Any of you."

He points at Stone, "You," he points at Divine, "you," he points at Mako, "or you, I don't care. Get in this ring later tonight and see what happens. Kyoto'll see how 'bad' you are, because this time? Tonight? The match is mine."

The teen steps back again from the ropes and glances to either side, acknowledging the audience. "Who here feels it in the air, huh!? TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT!" He turns out the microphone again to amplify the crowd's reaction. Yet again, it's completely unnecessary. The mike is drawn back in, and Blaise's bright blue eyes cast again to the Valkyries.

"See if you can avoid panicking this time, eh, girls?"

Mako raised an eyebrow, straight up, and the smile on her face even rose with it. Blaise had balls, she'd give him that much. On someone with an actual body to put on display, she might've taken him more seriously.

Still, though, Blaise was right in more ways than she cared to admit out loud. She wouldn't quite use the word 'terrified', but there was a serious threat posed by Blaise here, whether he realized it or not. This was a challenge, direct and clear. And, as such, it was her responsibility as the leader of the Valkyries to step up and kick ass. If she didn't, with a guy like Blaise...

"Okay, dumbass. Your funeral."

Mako started to march down to the ring, ready and willing to tear Blaise a new asshole and put an end to this once and for all, when a large arm moved in front of her path - Stone's.

She knew what sort of person Mako was and she knew what sort of fight she'd go for and she knew that it would probably end up with Blaise in far worse shape than he was bargaining for. At least if she was in the ring, there'd be a chance at a fair fight.

Besides - she wanted a rematch. "I got this."

Mako looked her up and down with a questioning gaze, skeptical all the way. "You got this?"

"I got this." Stone nodded and made her way down to the ring while Mako and Divine stayed at the top, watching and waiting. She started to take off her jacket as she neared, revealing the white A-shirt she wore underneath - not exactly wrestling attire, but it would do for this.

Blaise watches with interest as the two seem to debate - if minutely - who's going to step up. He didn't care who it was. He wanted to win, but winning wasn't even the point. The point was just standing up to them, demonstrating that he won't be intimidated. The final choice, however, earns a smirk.

"Good. Perfect. I was hoping to set the record straight with you, anyway."

As she makes her way down the ramp and sheds her jacket, the teen's eyes widen and he bursts into cheerful laughter. "Hahah! Hold your crotch-rockets, ladies, I'm not even dressed for the occasion! We'll get it on, don't - you - worry." The last three words are delivered with a side-to-side finger-wagging. "This is gonna be the last match of the evening. The main event. 'Cuz tonight, you learn just how powerless you are. And all it takes... is someone standing up to you."

At first, Mako was greatly annoyed by Blaise's insistence on having the fight later, setting up the main event. She wasn't even aware the little prick had the authority to do something like that, so apparently, she needed to read their contracts a little more closely.

But after a little thought, the advantages were clear. The main event was the primest of the prime time spots. Maximum exposure. This time, when Blaise got his ass kicked, it would be in front of a far bigger television audience, and worse yet, it would all be after his big fucking stand. And all she had to do was hold off for an hour or so. Time she could spend plotting. Couldn't ask for a better set up.

Stone stopped halfway down the ramp and looked over her shoulder, right as Mako brought the microphone back to her lips. "That's how you want it to be, that's how it'll be. We'll be ready when the time comes, little boy. While you're waiting, though, take a word of advice: look into your AFW insurance plan. See what it covers. In a very short amount of time, you're going to need every penny of it."

Mako promptly dropped the microphone and started to walk back as the Valkyrie's music blared, loud and proud. Divine followed right after, blowing Blaise a quick kiss before she disappeared behind the curtain.

But Stone? She lingered. She stared. She looked straight at Blaise, eye to eye, face to face, as if thoughts were written out plain on his forehead.

"You just don't learn, do you?"

Stone gave her head one final shake, then made her way to the back, as well.

Blaise gives no interruption as Mako consents with the added flavor of threat. He just smirks at her confidently. As she leaves, Stone takes his sole attention, blue eyes locking to blues. He can only just make out her comment, and, maintaining that smirk, he shakes his head at her.

Nope. He doesn't learn.

Only after the Valkyries have taken their exit does Blaise slip between the ropes. He drops down to his feet and begins head for the backstage area as well. His exit is slowed due to audience interference, however, playfully making monster-hands and growling at a few people before sharing a joyous laugh - and hug, on some occasions.

Tonight's going to be explosive. He can feel it.