The gang's all here

The arena speakers boomed the J-rock theme of the Tag-Team Champions, just as Akiko and Yukiko appeared on stage. Dressed pretty casually, just jeans and black, low-cut blouses (each with a tiny golden feather emblem on the right breast), they still wore their title belts around their slender waists, smiling and waving to the cheering audience all around them. Stepping down the ramp, Maddie appeared just moments behind them, dressed much the same way, albeit without the large gaudy championship belt. The star power of her two senpai greatly overwrote the usual laughter and taunting she received, so the petite girl was a lot cheerier than usual, basking in the positive atmosphere of the arena, even if she knew none of it really was for her.

Reaching the ring, all three of them hopped up onto the canvas, while the two leaders each grabbed a microphone. Moving towards the center of the mat, they all struck individual poses as the crowd roared, just as their song faded out.

"Heeeeey, I hope you guys haven't forgotten about us!" Akiko started off, grinning cheekily.

"I know we haven't been showing up much since we changed our name, but we're gonna change that!" Yukiko continued on.

"Aaaanyway, nobody's really stepped up and challenged us ever since we defended out title last time against those maids. Don't tell me that scared all you off!?"

"So we decided were gonna start throwing a challenge! First team to step up gets a title shot against us!"

"So let's see you Hoots, Team Corona or the British Bombshells!"

"Or you, Roses of Fire and Ice..." Yukiko made no attempt to conceal her hatred of the team with her most hated nemesis, Alicia, on it, wearing a threatening expression as she announced the name.

"O-or... Uh... Akiko stumbled a bit, distracted by how much venom Yukiko had in her voice right there. "Maybe any of you other unimportant or loser teams! We'll even give you a shot if you want it bad enough!"

Appropriate, considering the fact that they basically won the titles out of nowhere. Some light trash talk always gave the crowd something to buzz about at least. Deciding to pause there, all three members turned towards the arena entrance, interested to see who would be the first to show up.

Decked out in her leopard print sports bra and briefs, Alaina was in the back with Julia, drinking a water when she turned her attention to the TV screen to see the tag champs calling lut whomever came to mind. The sweet girls from Hooters got a nod by name as did the three pipsqueak singers, but no mention of Sonic Boom.

"Julia do you believe that? Alaina said with a chuckle. "I am dresssed for action, so I say we head out and remind them that they forgot to name Sonic Boom....aka the best tag team in Friction!" Alaina said enthusiastically, hoping that Julia would be on board.

Alaina couldn't wait to walk out there and see the look on the champs faces when they were confronted by an amazon and a luchadora!

With her crimson mask, matching top and skirt and brown cowgirl boots, Julia stood right by her tag partner with a confident grin on her face.

“I think that sounds like an fantastic idea,” Julia replied. And with that she led the way through the backstage area, and the sound guy just saw them in time to cue their music before Sonic Boom emerged onto the stage! Smiling and waving to the fans, Julia quickly strode down the aisle, no doubt with Alaina close behind her. As they passed the announcers’ table she grabbed a microphone and slid into the ring, then popped right up to her feet.

“WHAT’S UP, TOKYO?!” she called out, prompting a brief wave of cheers from the audience. Then she turned her attention to the tag champs.

“Howdy, champs. We were just hangin’ ‘round backstage, and couldn’t help but notice y’all forgot to mention a couple of people. Ain’t that right, Alaina?” she said, then handed the mic over to the Amazon so she could add in her comments.

Alaina bounced out along with Julia, high living fans as they cheered the arrival of Sonic Boom! She looked up at the tag champs with her arms crossed and nodded along as Julia spoke, a big smile etched on her face. As Julia handed the mic off to Alaina, the amazon already knew what she wanted to say.

"Ladies, we understand that we haven't been a team for very long but looking at the other teams you mentioned any smart bettor would put their money on Sonic Boom when we face them." Alaina said with a bit of a shrug as the crowd cheered. "But to mention a group of teenage singers and Hooters waitresses before us? I mean... you are either trying to snub us on purpose, or you are scared to ever have to face us so which one is it?" Alaina asked, her smile disappearing as a dead serious expression replaced it on her face as the crowd cheered, more fired up than before!

Seeing their first arrival, Akiko and Yukiko grinned widely, anxious to finally have some good opponents to test their mettle against. However, those grins visibly faded as they were called out on their mistake.

"Which ones were they again?" Yukiko leaned in to whisper to her partner, "Sonic Boom, right?"

Pausing for a brief moment, Akiko replied, "Shit. They're right, I totally forgot them. Ah, whatever, just follow my lead.

Though it was an honest mistake, admitting that and apologizing wasn't exactly going to look good for them in this situation. Looking weak or soft would be a bad thing. There really wasn't any choice but to roll with it.

"Ha! No way!" Akiko laughed, once again talking into the mic. "You two didn't even seem worth mentioning."

"Yeah!" Yukiko piped up, "But if it's a fight you want, we'll be happy to give you one!"

Alaina looked at Julia and nodded walking straight down to the ring glaring a hole through each member of the championship team as she climbed up on the apron and through the ropes standing toe to toe with Yukiko. "Listen ladies, we didn't come here to start trouble, but if you keep running those little whiney mouths of yours there WILL be trouble and you won't like it one bit."

Alaina dropped the mic and stood, crossing her arms and staring straight into Yukiko, not budging an inch. All Alaina did was grin and wait to see what Julia had to say. The cowgirl often had a way with words in situations like this that Alaina didn't. Even more priceless would be the reactions of their prospective foes....

Julia grinned as Alaina spoke, proud and confident as ever. After the mic was dropped, Julia moved to pick it up.

“I think what my partner here’s tryin’ to say is that we didn’t come out here to fight now, but...” she motioned an arm toward the champs. “You guys seem to be ready to go, and I sure as hell know we are! Ya don’t think we’re worth mentionin’? Prove it! The two of you, against the two of us! Right here, right now! Put up or shut up, champs. What’s it gonna be?”

Judging by the loud chorus of cheers that immediately followed, it seemed the crowd was all for it! Julia went to stand right beside Alaina, now face to face with Akiko. Sonic Boom may not have accumulated a ton of experience as a team yet, but taking on the tag team champions would show the world they were a team to be reckoned with, especially if they walked out of here with a victory. All that remained now was an answer from Akiko and Yukiko...

"Alright, it's a fight, you want then we-" Akiko energetically started her response, but stopped short at the sight of one of the stage technicians on the side of the ring, frantically waving her arms in the air as if trying to stop her. Oh right. They were told that there wasn't enough time for an actual match, they were just supposed to set one up.

Making a slight face, the fiery-haired girl direly wanted to ignore the warning and just start a fight, but just barely restrained herself. If they went through with it, the both of them would end up getting chewed out by their manager and probably get assigned some public service job as punishment. After an awkwardly long pause, she continued.

"We... uh. Don't have time for scrubs like you at the moment! Um... But we will very soon!" Completely smooth save.

"Y-yeah, consider yourselves at the top of our list!" Yukiko tried to play along, also barely hiding her own disappointment. That was a bit of a lie, though. Alicia and Amanda had permanently cemented themselves at the top of her list. Or at least Alicia had.

They both cringed slightly at the negative reaction from the crowd, but did their best to recover and keep looking confident as they waited for the reply.

Alaina crossed her arms as she glared at both the women. "Sonic Boom doesn't run from challenges, so we will fight you anytime, in whatever match you want and rest assured that we'll kick your asses." Alaina said without the mic. She only wanted the champs to hear her.

"If we don't hear from you guys soon I imagine that you will hear from us. You'll find out why it was a mistake to name off waitresses as legit challengers for your title while leaving us off the list." Alaina said stepping up and bumping chests with Yukiko who was directly in front of her!

From her perspective Julia didn’t catch the glimpse of the stagehands. All she saw was a moment of hesitation from the tag champs. Where they scared of fighting them? Flattering an assumption as that would’ve been, there didn’t seem to really be any fear in either Yukiko or Akiko’s eyes. It looked more like general confusion, as if they just weren’t sure they wanted to go through with it or not. A side effect of going so long without potential challengers stepping up to the plate, perhaps?

Before Julia could put any pieces of the puzzle together, Alaina was busy making sure the champs really knew not to ignore them. The blonde cowgirl didn’t even need to chime in or add anything else. But she did raise an eyebrow and grin a bit when Alaina bumped chests with Yukiko. When Alaina was in a fighting mood, well...it showed. Now Julia was more than a little curious to see how Akiko and Yukiko would react.