Stone vs. Blaise Cameron - Making a Stand

 VS.  
                         Stone                                                                  Blaise Cameron

It had almost been an hour since Blaise had made some bold assertions, and the time finally came to make good on them. The ploy to delay the match had two intended purposes; first, to build up audience anticipation, and second, to give the Valkyries time to stew and let his claims get in their head. He's no psychologist, and he's far from being a master at chess, but maybe it'd create a chink in their otherwise tight chain. However, the tactic also had a third, unforeseen side-effect: it gave Blaise enough time to get nervous.

He definitely ran his mouth, and he had the convictions to back it up, but it could very well blow up in his face tonight. Stone's bound to be bringing her best, too. The odds of her underestimating him is really slim. While losing tonight wouldn't get in the way of his message to the Valkyries, audience, and even the rest of the Tension roster, winning would be so much more powerful. Something like that could potentially ruin whatever momentum the Valkyries had!

Blaise knew Amy would be watching, and probably lingering in the audience to keep an eye on things. That helped. At least he could be a little more sure that the extra Valkyries may have a harder time getting into the ring. He even had a little extra insurance there, waiting just outside his changing room. Well, insurance and morale-booster. But he couldn't see her until he was finished getting prepped.

With a sigh, the teen gave himself a last look-over in the mirror, twisting this way and that to get a view from as many angles as he could. Everything seemed to be in order. Sapphire blue trunks and boots, both marked with wild black trim, make up the sole articles of his clothing. This leaves his trim, lean body mostly bare, from the smooth ripple of his arms to his flat, firmed chest, and down to his trim, toned abdominals and strong thighs. A hand whisks through his hair, and he turns to exit the room and into the hall.

He hadn't been announced and his music hadn't started playing yet, fortunately.

"Suzu-chan?"

Suzumi paced in the hallway, wearing a pair of black and pink sneakers, blue jeans, and a midriff showing t-shirt. She wanted to keep it simple, but Blaise did request that she show a bit of skin to help keep him motivated. She obliged and made sure she wouldn't distract him too much.

"Hey hun, are you ready to go out there and show those punks whats up?" Suzumi said as she kissed him and held his hand. She was worried about what they would do. Blaise could handle himself and Suzumi planned on making sure that any attempt to interfere would be stopped short. That still didn't stop her from worrying though.

She continued to hold his hand as they waited backstage, ready to accompany him to the ring and fire up the crowd form the start! She'd make sure they stayed right behind Blaise, just like she would be.

And just like that, the tension's lessened.

Blaise happily laces his fingers with Suzumi's, giving her hand a squeeze in return. His free hand moves to her bare waist with a wry smile. "Aw, you remembered!" Motivation? Did he say that? He might have. Any excuse would've done. Fact is, Suzumi just has a hot tummy.

"Ready as I'll ever be!," he chirps. While Suzumi may be concerned about what the Valkyries may pull, Blaise outright expects it. To surprise him would mean they'd have to play by the rules. He can hope that they'll be coerced into not interfering with the threat of looking weak hanging over them, but odds are, if things start to go his way, they could be looking at a repeat. He'll just have to stay on his toes.

It isn't as cliche or recognizable as the tune he'd used in his challenge, but the chorus of Kansas' "Carry On My Wayward Son," is almost unmistakable as it suddenly floods the arena. It causes Blaise to perk. "Time to go!" He quickly releases her hand in favor of hooking her arm at the elbow.

The curtain is thrown out, and Blaise exits the backstage with Suzumi Ishikawa in tow. He throws his free fist into the air in salute to the audience, foregoing his usual explosive energy due to having the aforementioned girl attached at the arm. But as he makes his way down the ramp with her, he slaps a train of high-fives, shares a few winks, and appreciatively accepts some well-wishes and pats about his person.

Once the pair reaches the edge of the ring, Blaise pivots in to suddenly press a quick kiss to her lips; quick, but affectionate and excited. His arm withdraws from her and he hops up onto the ring apron, grabs the top rope, and springs over to land on the mat. He turns on heel, springs into a sudden backflip, and carries the momentum into a one-armed handstand, using the other to point out at the audience with a confident, if upside-down smile.

His balancing arm pumps and the teen pops up and over to right himself, at last moving into his corner to await his opponent, the mirth ebbing from his expression. 'Can't go easy on her. Not tonight. Stay focused.'

"Carry on my wayward son...there'll be peace when you are done..."

Stone hummed under her breath while she waited in the back, warming up with Mako and Divine as Blaise's music played outside. Stretching, bending, twisting, getting her body in good shape for the match. She was still dressed in her leather pants and shirt, no time to go back home and get into proper gear - wouldn't matter. For this, nothing was going to stop her from giving 100%. Esepcially not wardrobe problems, of all things.

"Lay your weary hands to rest...don't you cry no more..."

Divine was off to the side, flirting with one of the stagehands as if he'd be her new boytoy for the next week or so. Mako, though, was focused on the television screen, glued on Blaise as he made his entrance. And smiling. "Well, fuck me." She thumbed up at the screen and nodded Stone's way. "Superboy went and found himself a little girlfriend. Look."

Stone stood up straight from her leg splits and saw that Mako wasn't kidding - Blaise was accompanied to the ring by some girl in plain clothes. She looked a little familiar, though, and as Stone kept staring, the pieces fell into place. "That's Suzumi Ishikawa." She looked down to Mako, who was giving her a puzzled look. Figured that she wouldn't know. Heaven forbid a wrestler know about her fellow wrestlers. "Former Wrestling Angel. Works in Friction, now. You should watch more matches."

"Yeah, yeah." Mako waved it off and turned back to the screen. "Didn't think he'd bring backup - maybe Amy, but not this. Complicates things a bit."

"No, it doesn't." Stone stepped forward with her arms crossed. "I go out there, I wrestle, I win. Don't overcomplicate it and it won't get complicated."

"Don't give me a reason to complicate it." Mako kept staring at the screen as one of the stagehands gave them the signal - showtime in less than twenty seconds. "You know what to do. So just do it."

Soon enough, Stone's music began to play, and one of the most hated trios in the AFW made their second appearance of the night. Walking down to the ring this time instead of driving, with Stone leading the pack. Standing tall, hair slick, breath steady. She moved on, ignoring the wave of boos and jeers coming her way as she walked up the stairs and brought her legs over the top rope.

Her eyes never left Blaise for a single second the whole time, and she kept them locked while she walked across the ring, waiting until he was close enough to hear her low voice. "You need to tell Suzumi to leave. Right now."

The '70s rock anthem ends, and a chorus of boos washes through the arena like a great deluge. Blaise's attention immediately sets dead center on Stone as she and the others march in. Once their eyes meet, they stay locked; even as he kicks up one leg after the other for the referee's perusal. Fortunately, he's out of Blaise's way by the time Stone is approaching him in the ring.

The teen meets her, nearly nose-to-nose. A smirk plays on his face, perhaps a touch cocky. He knows he had her in their last match. He knows it. But he also knows she knows. She's going to be giving it her all. So, too, will he. But he doesn't speak. No, let the moment speak for itself. What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

Her words are what finally cause him to break eye-contact with her, shooting a glance to Suzumi. Why would Stone say that? Did they plan on doing something to her? Oh God, did he put Suzumi in danger? Are they gonna hurt her? Suddenly, the cockiness is gone in favor of an intense glare cast back to Stone.

"If you try to hurt her, I'll tear you to pieces," he seethes.

Though it doesn't register on his face, he surprises himself with that threat. But he hates the idea that Suzumi could be hurt simply because he walked with her to the ring. She's already been injured, costing her dearly in one federation. He can't let something else happen to her. He won't.

The referee has been pawing at Stone to inspect her for foreign objects, but the effectiveness of her search is questionable at best. Nevertheless, there's no point delaying any further! She waves to signal the bell and begin the match.

*DING*

Stone's face hardened when Blaise's did the same, looking back at him with those blazing, blue eyes. She was bigger, she was stronger, she was tougher, but you never would've guessed it to look at Blaise's face in that instant. He stood like he was the biggest dog in the yard, all of the sudden. And she knew where that look was coming from, too. But this wasn't last time. This was a new day, and the element of surprise was no longer a factor.

On one hand, she respected it. On the the other hand, it was going to make things so much more difficult than it needed to be. "It's not me she has to worry about." Stone brought out her gloves and slipped them on while the referee gave her the pat down. "You know what sort of person Mako is. You're asking for trouble, and she'll gladly give it to you."

There wasn't much time for chat - the bell rang, and Stone immediately sprang into action, coming at him as if a tightly wound spring had just been released. Just like last time, she started off heavy and brough the fight straight to Blaise, reaching out with both arms and trying to catch him with a ferocious collar-and-elbow tie up. If she could get ahold of him, she had every intention of bullying him right into a corner, where she had a few new surprises she'd brought to the table just for him.

Blaise is ready to contest Stone's warnings with more of his own, but the bell has rung. Stone's wasting no time in kicking things off, and his arms clamp into the lockup - but her sheer force and initiative easily wins this contest. The teen is rushed back into the turnbuckle, his back meeting the solid obstacle with an involuntary grunt. But Blaise tries to wrest free of the predicament, if uselessly for now, his lean, toned frame tensed and teeth grit. His hands remaining at her collar and shoulder as he growls out, "Mako's bit off more than she can chew this time...!"

Stone was trying to seize control of the match as quickly as possible, but she knew it wasn't going to last for too long. Blaise wasn't as strong as she was - not quite - but he was slippery and smart, which meant she'd have to keep the pressure on and be smarter about it. Not like last time. No fuck-ups.

"If you really think that..." She leaned into Blaise after they collided against the  turnbuckle, using her weight to apply some added pressure. "...than you're even dumber..." Stone started to push over him, keeping both of her arms pressed against his chest. "...than I thought!"

Stone suddenly moved back in and lashed on with a hard knife edge chop to Blaise's chest, brinding it down hard against the bared skin.

Much in the way that Stone is recounting her match with Blaise to analyze him, Blaise is doing the same. He can't help it, being faced with what is arguably Stone's greatest asset: her strength and force. She hit like a truck, and when it came to raw tests of strength, he couldn't seem to come out on top. So his current situation is a dire one from the outset. But he struggles with her, despite being able to work his way free. Her arms press against his chest, keeping him locked down.

That is, until he's suddenly turned loose! Blaise nearly staggers out of the corner, his balance taken away in an instant. But he doesn't get more than a single step before Stone's hand cracks against his bare pectoral like a whip! "Anh!" The teen falls back against the turnbuckle, one arm defensively crossing his chest, but his position in the corner and the fresh pain leaves him unfortunately open.

Stone had a strategy, here, and it was a relatively simple one - Blaise did his best work when he could move around, she did her best work when she could apply her strength and bulldoze over him. Keep him still. Keep him isolated. By the time he finally got free, he'd be a mangled mess and an easy mark for the pin.

With that in mind, she went back to work as soon as he reeled back from the chop, taking advantage of his wide open body. She ducked down a bit and grabbed the ropes on both sides of him, getting a solid grip, holding it tight. Deep breath, slight pause, and then she pulled forward and rammed her shoulder into his gut with a turnbuckle thrust, looking to fold him in half.

Outside of the ring, Mako started to move around the side, nearing Suzumi's area. Slow steps. Casual. Not too threatening. Just taking a little stroll...