Losers' Meeting (for K0hryuu)

Walking away from the infirmary, Melody was still severely shaken by her Avalanche match, streaks from tears still on her face. She was going towards the locker room to get changed and to quickly get to her hotel room. She just wanted to sleep and forget about this horrible day. However, she checked the time on the wall clock in the building. The event was 3 hours in. So that meant Melody had just enough time to watch Black Feathers Gang's title defense. The green-hair, sadly, decided to skip the main event of the show, deciding she was too tired to not leave within the next 30 minutes.

Almost at the locker room, she remembered: "Crap, Navi...". Taking a deep breath and prepared to see disappointment on her friend's face, she walked in.

Navi was still playing games on her phone, after just having enjoyed the previous match, and after angering and getting a match with Alaina Sanders. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from the hallway. Whoever came in, she was prepared to give a clever joke to, until...

"Green! What took you so...?", she was prepared to hug her best friend after her match, until she saw her face. She could tell she was crying, and the stitch at the top of the head showed that she got busted open at one point. Besides that, her friend had a very sad look on her face.

"Um...I, uh..."

"OK, out with it"

"...what...happened? I accidentally skipped the match, did you win?", given the expession on her friend's face, Navi already knew the answer.

"...no....", Melody wasn't that upset that her friend hasn't watched the match. She would watch it later regardless, but this, at least, gave her a few more moments to recupperate from the match without anyone asking questions about it.

"If possible, don't remind me of this match. Until I can talk about it..."

"I'll just ask one thing then. Did that "Tracer" hurt you so badly?", Navi asked, knowing that her friend isn't the one to normally cry about a loss

"I think the song "Hurt" works in this context much better. So, no. You don't need to seek revenge for me, if that's what you are really asking.", Melody forced a smile, but the words of the referenced song (especially the line: "I hurt myself today") were playing in her head

"...ok. Guessing...no restaurant then?"

"No. I just want to sleep...forever... OH! Did the tag title match start yet?", she suddenly perked up.

"They are finishing with the promo package for it. Sit down, relax, I bought snacks! That rhyme was unintentional, by the way", Navi relaxed somewhat, but the look of utter defeat on Melody's face wasn't leaving her head as Navi sat down and offered her friend dry, salty popcorn and some cola, while getting herself a basket of buttered popcorn.

"Just a second, let me get changed"

5 minutes later

Melody, now dressed in her street clothes, sat down at the bench facing the TV near Navi, one hand at her popcorn.

"Did it start?"

"Not yet, they are finishing up with the entrances, why do Black Feathers have 3 members?"

"Madison is a backup, more or less...hm?", Melody looked at the screen carefully. Akiko looked uncomfortable, especially as she slid into the ring.

"Is she nervous? Cold feet maybe? ...wait, no, that looked like...pain?"

"Something wrong?"

"...it's probably nothing..."

The tag match started in challagers', Imperial Order's, favour as Yukiko was mostly on the defensive from the 2 aristocrats (with both Navi and Melody wincing at the wishbone split). Shortly afterwards, Yukiko was pinned. As Akiko attempted to run towards her partner, Melody once again noticed Akiko grimacing in pain.

"Is she...injured?", Melody asked outloud

"Who, the redhead from Black Feathers? Isn't she the one you had that "match" with?"

Navi quickly checked her phone. "Yeah, its right here, you were her last opponent before Avalanche"

Melody thought back to her "catfight" of a no-DQ match with Akiko. In all honesty, the redhead was more on the offensive during the match (even leaving a bit of lasting damage on Melody's leg). She didn't think she put that much punishment on her opponent's body. Or did she...?

"Let's keep watching for now..."

The match continued, with Yukiko trying to regain her ground against Gwen, but ultimately failing to do so. Akiko and Maddie, on the other side, didn't have a better of a time, as Akiha approached and attacked the 2, with Maddie failing to fight back. Eventually, Melody made an observation when Akiha suplexed Maddie on Akiko.

"I think it's only...her chest that is injured..."

"Well, remembering how you groped her naked boobs during your match...", Navi said with a wicked smile.

"Don't...just, don't", Melody said with a tired look on her face. She thought it was hilariously bad that both her hardcore outings ended with different types of embarassment for her. But she got what Navi meant: "So you think she might be injured because of me?"

"I don't know. I mean, after that match, you had ice packs on your lap and chest for 7 days straight. Who knows, maybe you overdid it"

"...shit...OUUCH!", Melody reacted, at first to Navi's suggestion, but then seeing the redhead being Buckle Bombed into the metal barricade. "Christ, that's leaving a bump."

"Tags won't help them in this case. Both of them are hurt,"

Shortly afterwards, Imperial Order's members' roles switched and Gwen was now attacking Akiko and Maddie outside while Akiha was in the ring with Yukiko:

"At this rate, Feathers are going to lose. Imperial Order really cannot fight fairly..."

Melody glared at her friend, almost wanting to say: "Look who's talking", but thought better of it

Melody felt incredibly sorry for Akiko. The red-hair who beat her previously barely got any offense in, and was being knocked out by figure-4 headscissors. Although at the same time, she thought: "Always the figure 4 moves...weird."

Once she was knocked out completely, Melody realized that her former opponent's team was not winning this, and the belts would change owners for the first time in a year and a half. "Seems like I am not the only one who is having a crappy Avalanche"

With the match nearing it's end, the dialouge between Akiha and Yukiko managed to get caught on camera, with Yukiko's line: "Something stupid like those belts don't mean a thing to us!" getting through the TV set.

"Fucking idiot", Navi retorted towards the line

Melody, on the other hand, was getting more and more angry at the Imperial Order, taking offense to Akiha using red mist to blindside Yukiko: "One of their opponents is injured and they still cheat to win, the bastards"

Finally, after one final move, the match was over, and Black Feathers Gang's title reign was officially over. Navi didn't care much, she only wanted to see her potential opponents for the future, regardless of who won the match. Melody was a little upset by the result, however, wishing to be the one to dethrone the now-former champions, and by the fact that the trio lost the belts in such an unconvincing fashion.

"Sure you don't want to watch the World Title match?"

"I'll watch it tomorrow, let's get to the hotel", Melody answered, as she put her's and Navi's popcorn baskets and cola cans in the trash bin.

Within 5, the two of them were in the hallway of the arena, going towards it's exit

Having all taken brief showers, the members of the Black Feather gang were all a bit eager to return to their hotel rooms, wanting to just soak in a hot bath while licking their wounds. Akiko and Yukiko had been told to report to the medical staff the next day, to check up on their injuries, but for now, the three miserable girls just wanted to forget everything that happened tonight, and possibly start thinking on how they were going to get back at Alicia for sabotaging them.

All of them were groaning softly in pain, trudging down the hallway towards the taxi bay to catch a ride back. It wasn't a far walk, but in their current state it felt like miles. Glancing upwards, Akiko suddenly noticed two girl up ahead, one of them with some very familiar green hair. Suddenly recalling how Melody had an Avalanche match as well, the fiery-haired girl called out, somewhat weakly, "H-hey...!"

Waiting for the taxi at the taxi bay, Melody was surprised to hear the voice of a familiar red-head:

"Hi, Akiko! ...um..."

"Well, that's awkward... what do I say? "You did your best" is out of the question, as is "how do you feel"....

It was Navi who broke the 5 second silence:

"Hi. I am Navi. Oh, and by the way...", she pointed at Akiko: "If you put your hands on Green's privates again, I'll kick yours so hard you'll NEVER think attacking anyone's groin again, got that? Just for future reference. And you...", pointing at Yukiko: "Before saying that championships are stupid, at least try and have 1 title defence without any low blows"

Melody looked at Navi with a face that perfectly mixed tiredness, surprise and anger, before putting her right hand on her friend's mouth:

"Um, uh...Ignore her! She really runs her mouth sometimes without even knowing what comes out of it!"

"FOR FUCK'S SAKE, NAT!!!", was going through Melody's head

Akiko paused for a moment as well. She hadn't watched Melody's match earlier since they were kind of brooding a bit before their match. As such she didn't really know how to address her. Yukiko and Maddie just looked on at Melody a bit coldly, having watched the match between the two of them. Even if they did make up afterwards, according to Akiko, neither of them really had a good impression of her.

However, the unfamiliar blonde suddenly let loose an outburst at the two of them, leaving the Black Feathers speechless for a moment.

"...Who the FUCK is she!?" Yukiko blurted out as she pointed accusingly at Navi, nearly trembling with rage. As exhausted as she was, the blue-haired girl's temper shot off again, taking serious offense at the threat towards her ailing partner.

"Y-yeah... What's her problem!?" Maddie piped up, definitely not in a good mood herself either.

Akiko was the only one who remained speechless, still trying to process what was happening right now. Certainly none of them were in any shape for a fight right now, and she was too exhausted and in too much pain to even want to deal with this situation.

"One day. ONE FUCKING DAY. I am sewing that mouth shut."

After the angry replies from Yukiko and Maddie, Melody would say:

"I am VERY sorry, you three. Navi says stuff that she doesn't really means a lot of times"

The blonde got her friend's hand off her face, and said:

"Not this time though. And to the third wheel...", pointing at Maddie: "I'll say...

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!", Melody suddenly screamed.

"OK. Now I know I overdid it..."

"Christ...NEVER again, you hear me? Unless you've got a match, you are not going with me to an event like this EVER AGAIN!"

Turning back to Black Feathers:

"Between the five of us right here, she is the only one who didn't have a match, so ignore her...

...alright, I'll stop beating around the bush, I feel sorry that you lost you titles. Hell, we wanted to beat you for the titles. But I have to ask, Akiko. What happened there? You didn't fight back. Are you ok? Did I seriously hurt your chest that badly 2 weeks ago?"

Yukiko took a step forward as if she were about to go for the throat, but Akiko quickly put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. All three of them remained silent as Melody suddenly shouted at Navi, a bit like a mother scolding a bratty child, which caused them to calm down a little bit. Of course it didn't stop Yukiko and Maddie from glaring daggers at the blonde, while the other two spoke.

"Yeah... Thanks, I think...?" Akiko shrugged trying to give a weak smile, "Oh... No...! It wasn't your fault!"

"There was... a little incident a few days ago that... Well, it didn't end well for me..." the fiery-haired girl muttered, sounding very bitter. It only served to remind her that vengeance on Alicia was the at the very top of their to do list. "So it was just... Kind of unfortunate how that turned out..."

"Alright. At least I am a tiniest bit not the monster I think I am...Wonder what happened though", she thought when Akiko said it wasn't her fault.

"Well, if I could offer any consolation, I also lost..., Melody choked up, slightly, remembering what happened a few hours ago... "And those Imperial Order asshats still couldn't beat you without cheating. Are your eyes alright by the way, Ms Kuzuryuu?", Melody asked.

Navi opened her mouth

"NO! ENOUGH. We are all tired except you, we get it, just shut it for now, please, I beg you"

"It's a legitimate question"

Melody thought for a bit:

"If you say anything idiotic, I am punching you and you won't say a single word until we get to the hotel, got it?"

Navi nodded.

"Shoot."

"My "Mom" here said that Maddie serves as back up for you. If you were injured, Akiko, why didn't she take her place?", she said, pointing at Melody, who was half a mind of following up on her promise.

"A-ah... Sorry to hear that." Akiko replied, "I guess we're kind of in the same boat then..."

Yukiko snapped out of her glare for a moment, surprised at being addressed directly, "O-oh, just... Just a bit dizzy from getting dropped on my head is all..."

As Navi posed her question, the three Black Feather member glanced at each other, as if asking who would be best to explain the situation.

"Uh, well..." Maddie spoke up first, sounding a bit uncomfortable, "I probably would have been even more of a liability than I already was... Not to mention I wasn't actually part of the team when they won the titles in the first place, so..."

There was also that tiny bit of obsession that Gwen had with her, but none of them wanted to bring that up right now.

"We kinda had to keep up appearances, given the circumstances..." Yukiko added on. "They were giving us a lot of shit since the two of us were never really able to set up our own title defense matches..."

"Plus, we didn't wanna look like we were gonna fall back on an excuse if we did lose." Akiko shrugged.

"Yeah, that finisher they had looked brutal, I've got to say", Melody said, scratching the back of her neck, remembering the Top Rope Stunner that ended her match...

Towards Maddie's comment, Navi said: "Yeah, well, Freebird's rule is a thing, so, no problem there. Seriously, I get proving your critics wrong, I am all about that", she said with a smirk: "But strategy has to come before sentimentality and stuff like that. Injuries are not a joke, especially if they are of a...private...character." she said, towards Akiko's injury:

"Then again, if I heard you correctly, Kuzuryuu, you will take sentimentality 10 out of 10 times any day of the week with the titles. Hell, I kind of get the feeling that you will not be looking for the rematch for titles anytime soon. Am I wrong on that?", Navi said.

"I will kill her one day., Melody thought, glaring at her friend.

Navi's attitude managed to tweak the tempers of all three Black Feathers this time, which showed visibly on their faces. Of course, Yukiko was the first to step forward, walking right up to the blonde.

"Don't act like you know a thing about any of us..." the blue-haired girl snarled, glaring fiercely into Navi's eyes. "We didn't come here to win any fancy-ass awards, we're here because we needed to make a living...!"

"Imperial Order, or whatever their pretentious ass name is, will definitely be hearing from us again eventually." Akiko had a particularly foul look on her face as she said this. "With or without titles, we still owe them some payback."