Tag Elimination: The Valkyries Vs. Blaise Cameron, Amy Poford & Mariko Ishii

Mariko grunted out as she was lifted and driven back to the mat while having the musclebound Valkyrie’s weight crash down on her. She didn’t doubt for a second Stone would’ve loved for her to stay down, nice and still, for the pin. Life would be so much simpler if everyone just cooperated with each other, wouldn’t it? But to expect it here would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

“2..!”

But that was as far as the ref’s count got. Just as the two count had been made, Mariko brought her legs up and kicked them out with a heavy grunt while jerking her body to the side, forcing her shoulder off the mat just enough to break the count then and there.

b]”Two!”[/b] The referee shot her hand in the air with two fingers raised, making sure everyone saw. There was a healthy round of applause from Mariko’s countrymen, but Stone didn't share in the revelry. ”Two!”

She sat up after the kickout with her back going ramrod straight. She didn't completely blame Mariko - she could've sworn the referee was counting slow. Maybe. She shot her a quick glare, just in case, then stood up and went right back to work.

Stone once again grabbed Mariko’s hair, making use of the convenient handhold, and forced her back to her feet. The exact moment her legs were straight enough to walk, she grabbed her by the wrist, leaned back, and put all off her strength and body weight into a high impact Irish Whip, sending her off to the corner at breakneck speeds.

Once Stone was off of her, Mariko took the few precious seconds given to her to gasp for as much air as her body could take in. She’d kept herself alive in the match, but Stone still had all the strength and momentum of a runaway freight train, and stopping that wasn’t going to be an easy task. But despite how fatigued and battered she was, Mariko felt determined to get the job done. After all, Divine wasn’t the only Valkyrie she had a grudge against. The Brazilian might’ve been the primary role in what was done to Yamato, but who was it who recorded every second of it? Stone. The giant may not’ve laid a finger on her beloved brother, but she stood by and not only watched, but helped enable millions of people to be able to see it too.

But as things were, Mariko wasn’t exactly in a good position to exact revenge against Stone like she’d just done with Divine. And no resistance was offered as the Valkyrie brought Mariko back up and hurled her off into the corner! The Japanese vixen found herself feeling like she was going faster than her she thought her body was even capable of going, before instinctively turning at the last split second to violently crash back first into the turnbuckle. “GAH!” she shouted out as intense pain rocked her back. Her body bounced forward on the impact and almost collapsed to the mat, until her hands suddenly reached out and grabbed onto the top ropes on either side, just in time to keep her up on her wobbly legs, refusing to go down. Mariko slumped back into the corner, seething and growling while taking in big breaths, and giving Stone a fiery and defiant glare.

Stone started running after Mariko a moment after she'd landed in the corner, dashing across the ring like a bull in full charge. There was just enough time for her to catch the look on Mariko's face, see the defiance in her eyes. She didn't blame her - Stone was an only child, but she had some cousins she cared deeply for, and if any of them had suffered like Yamato did, there would be no force on Earth that could stop her from getting payback. It was a just cause.

But they were on different sides of the street. Stone had chosen this path, and it was far too late to turn back.

She brought her leg up straight, as high as it would go, and sent her heel flying into Mariko's chin with a deadly Yakuza Kick. All the while she hoped - even prayed - that it would be enough to knock her out, so the beating wouldn't have to continue. If Mariko's heart wouldn't quit, her body would.

If Stone was a charging bull, Mariko would’ve loved to be a matador. The idea of moving herself out of the way just before it was too late was more appealing to her than anything on the earth at that moment. But alas, it was an idea that wouldn’t materialize.

“UGH!!” Mariko cried out as Stone’s boot crashed right on the mark, violently snapping her head back. Her body started to quickly sink down, only for her limp arms to snag on the ropes to keep her somewhat up. She was heavily dazed, but Mariko could taste blood in her mouth. Had she bitten her tongue? Or had the kick busted her lip open? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was she was cornered and defenseless. A normal person in her situation likely would’ve just let themselves fall and be pinned, knowing risking further pain and injury was unnecessary when there were two perfectly fresh partners like Blaise and Amy waiting for a chance to fight.

But what did Mariko do? She looked up at Stone, gathered up some of the blood in her mouth, then spit it right at the giant’s face.

In Stone's mind, she already know how this was supposed to go. The Yakuza Kick would knock her senseless, she'd go down, and then it would be an easy pin. From there, she could just devote her energy to Amy and Blaise, do enough damage to them for Mako to pick up the peaces. Maybe even take them both down herself, if she was lucky enough.

There was just one problem: Mariko wasn't going down.

Stone took a moment to wipe the blood off of her face, then glared right back at Mariko. This was the way she wanted to be? Fine. She'd tried to nice. She'd tried to be merciful. But if Mariko was just going to shove it all back in her face, she'd suffer the consequences.

Stone jumped foward, hitting Mariko's stomach with a quick toe kick, just to make her bend over. From there, she grabbed her hair, pulled her between her legs, lifted her up by the waist to put those long, lithe legs on her massive shoulders, then slammed her back down with a powerbomb that left the whole ring shaking.

Stone stayed bent over after the impact, holding Mariko's legs and keeping her shoulders pinned.  "Stay down!" She roared, as the referee moved in for a count.

"1...!"

Ordinarily Mariko wouldn’t have much trouble accepting gestures of kindness or generosity. But tonight, especially from a Valkyrie? No thanks. Stone could take any pity, sympathy and whatever else and shove it. No matter how badly they hurt Mariko, she simply wasn’t going to lay down and let herself get taken out of this fight as long as she had enough energy in her body to do anything about it.

“Ugh” she grunted as Stone’s boot kicked into her stomach, doubling her over. Seemed the giant was done playing “nice,” as she pulled Mariko out of the corner only to hoist her up onto the girl’s shoulders and slam her down to the mat with a brutal, thunderous powerbomb! Her torso hit the canvas so violently it bounced before coming to rest with Stone’s weight pinning her down.

“2...!” the ref counted. But that was as far as it’d get, as Mariko once again threw Stone’s suggestion right out the window by rolling a shoulder up to break the count!

With her body folded up under Stone like this, especially considering how battered to hell her body was, there was no getting out from under her unless the giant moved. As nice as that would be, that was something Mariko wasn’t willing to hold her breath for. So, she swung her right fist out right at Stone’s face. She wasn’t able to get much power behind the punch in her state, but she still had to try. It was better than just waiting there to see what would happen next.

The crowd was on their feet, cehering Mariko on with insane vigor. She could hear the commentators raging, almost hopping out of their chair as things reached a fever pitch. Mako was screaming at the top of her lungs - Stone couldn't make out a word she said, but she got the general gist.

The only quiet people in the whole building were Stone and Mariko, as they stared hard at each other. And Divine, too, but for different reasons.

Glaring at Mariko even harder wasn't an easy thing, but she managed it when the Japense native punched her in the face. Stone was starting to lose what precious little patience she had left.

"Stay..."

She deadlifted Mariko off the ground with a mighty grunt, raising her back into the powerbomb position and holding her higher than before. Stone took a deep breath, clenched her teeth down tight, then slammed her down with commanding force once again.

"...down!" She held the position, trying the pin for a second time.

Mariko did her team a solid, in Blaise's eyes. She got rid of Divine, one of the Valkyries. She gave them an advantage. She's the bomb-diggity. She's due for a hug or two after the bell rings. But right now, she's having the diggity bombed right out of her.

The ring shakes. Hard. Blaise nips onto his bottom lip, eyes glued to the purple-haired vixen. Most friends and family might encourage her to lie down and be done, to not risk a shattered spine. But Blaise at least gets it. It's that thing that drove Amy crazy when they first wrestled. And there's no way he's going to try to douse that fire. She's giving it her all and making sure she doesn't leave this ring with regrets. He's going to make sure she knows some people are still pulling for her.

"Come on!," he shouts from the corner. "You can get through this, Mariko!"

The noise in the arena was near-deafening. Every fan in the building was on their feet screaming at Mariko to hang in there and not let the Valkyrie giant get the best of her, as was Blaise. And dammit Mariko was trying as hard as she could. But to say it wasn’t easy was one hell of an understatement. The most she could do in this position had been to throw that punch, and all it earned her was an even more intense glare from Stone. Even still, Mariko glared right back without a single hint of fear in her fiery gaze.

The floored vixen was then hoisted right back up into the air and onto Stone’s powerful shoulders once again. Knowing full well where this was headed, Mariko tried to squirm in hopes of slipping off of the Valkyrie. Not happening. Those strong arms had a firm grip on Mariko’s legs, keeping them still and in place. She wasn’t going anywhere. “Shit!” she cursed, just before being planted down with a second devastating powerbomb! Mariko’s cringing expression showed just how much pain she was in, but her body was otherwise seemingly lifeless as the ref slapped the mat to start another count.

“1...!”

“2...!”

The hand rose again, and was mere inches from touching the mat when Mariko suddenly shouted out while thrusting her shoulder up to break the count at the last second! The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, but the kickout might’ve taken what little remained of Mariko’s strength. All she could do now is gasp and pant, with her body still folded up and underneath Stone’s weight.