Breaking the Tension! Special - Pre-Elimination Chamber Interviews

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Being an interviewer was like being a hunter. One had to be patient, had to know when the right moment to strike was, had to be able to act without hesitation and show no fear. Your prey could smell your fear, and if you wavered, the tables could turn, and you would find yourself the hunted instead of the hunter. No room for mercy. A true cutthroat business.

Luckily, these were qualities that Patty possessed in abundance, coming from a mix of natural talent passed down from her father and skills that she’d picked up over a small lifetime of experience.

”Ms. Patty, I’m not sure this is such a good idea.”

Now, if only she could instill those qualities on her new intern. Preferably by some form of osmosis.

Patty had been waiting in this arcade for what felt like a good hour now, ducking around the machines, making sure to stay as out of sight as one possibly could surrounded by flashing lights. She was calm, keep her eyes open and wide, trying to lock down her prey. She knew that Leah Shaw frequented this establishment around this time, that there was a good chance she would spot the woman if she hung around long enough.

Her new intern, Chloe, had other ideas. She was a young thing, fresh out of college from the States, looking to join the Tension backstage crew, trying to get her foot in the door. In that regard, Patty had graciously extended an offer to help her get some real experience, taking her under her wing. She was a mousy thing, with her short brown hair and wide-rimmed glasses, looking so lost and alone in the big city. It was the least that Patty could do to help her along, give her some real guidance, show her how the industry worked. Kyoto could be a big place, but Patty had come to master it time at Tension, learning the ins and outs of the city and immersing herself in its deep culture.

The only catch was that Chloe had to listen. Sometimes, she wasn’t the best at that.

”Listen, Chloe-”

”Zoe.” She looked up from her camera for a moment, then went back to fiddling away with it. ”My name is ‘Zoe’.”

”Oh. Right. Easy mistake.” Zoe looked like she was about correct her on that, but Patty interjected before she had the chance. ”The Elimination Chamber is happening soon, and this is a golden opportunity. Just think - no one else is going to give the people access like this, get so close to the superstars they adore. It’s all about the brand, see? People expect this sort of exclusivity from me. They know that I can give them the goods.”

Zoe just shook her head and stood, slipping a battery into place as she finished prepping. ”And I get that. I do. But don’t think you think it might it be a little bit better if we tell these people that we’re giving them an interview, first? More professional?”

Patty put a hand on her hip and rolled her eyes, sighing at the young woman’s naivety. Was there ever a time when she was so young, so fresh-eyed about the business? She was fairly sure the answer was ‘no’, but even so, she tried to feel some pity for her intern and her little internal conflict. ”If we do it that way, they’ll have time to prepare and get ready for us.”

”And that’s a bad thing?”

”Certainly!” She snapped her fingers, startling a nearby patron as he worked the pachinko slots. Or whatever you called them. ”Think of it like observing wildlife. You want to get them in their natural habitat. Pure. Otherwise the audience can sense the fakeness of it, can tell how staged you’re making it.” She wagged her finger. ”It’s all about maintaining a sense of verisimilitude.”

”I don’t think that’s-”

Patty held up a hand to silence her, as her razor sharp eyes centered on their target. Sure enough, there was Leah Shaw making her way in, unsuspecting and wide open. Her blood began to race, her nostrils flared. Now was the time. ”Come on!”

Staying low, Patty maneuvered around the machines, keeping just out of sight, and waiting until it looked like Leah was about to pass by. The second she came into view, she pounced out with a microphone in hand and Chloe at her back, getting them both into focus.

”Leah Shaw!” She moved in quick, getting them both in the shot. ”Patty O’ Malley with Breaking the Tension! Up for a quick word on your upcoming Elimination Chamber Match?”

Leah wasn't alone, as per usual was walking along side Edgar. Any time they came to the arcade he tended to handle their yen to keep her from overspending on the games, especially when she hit the crane games. A brutal battlefield where she rarely won but loved it so much.

The blond woman jumped with a small scream, completely taken off guard by Patty bursting out at her. The startled girl stumbled back into Edgar, bumping his shoulder. Her male counterpart didn't seem overly enthused, pushing past Leah with a balled up fist, drawing it back as if he intended to slug Patty right in the face.

Leah recovered in time to reach out and grab hold of her brother’s shoulder, quickly inserting herself between him and Patty. No need to escalate things needlessly! She grimaced looking between them and the camera. “Oh… uh… sure?” She glanced back to Edgar over her shoulder. The man seemed already done with Patty within the first seconds of them meeting.

For a moment - a tense, frantic moment - Patty recoiled, thinking for sure that Edgar would strike her. Not that she was too worried, really. After all, she was a wrestler herself, having already proven herself in the ring, and she knew that she could handle the punk if that was what it came down to. But she didn’t want to make the man look bad in public, and she knew that, if she took him down here, the embarrassing incident would be all over Youtube in minutes. The last thing she wanted to do was make a fellow wrestler and potential subject look bad.

She got down off her hackles when Leah wisely intervened, stopping the altercation before it could get out of hand. ”Thank you.” She straightened, dusted off her skirt, swung her baseball cap backwards into the Cool Position. ”I’ll keep it short and sweet, no worries.”

Patty swung about and started to walk beside Leah, ushering her to follow along. ”So. Leah Shaw. You’ve had a rather short career in the AFW so far, but you’re already getting a big opportunity. The Elimination Chamber, the chance for a title shot, history in the making. How does it feel to have the spotlight shining down on you?”

Leah gave a small nervous chuckle. The last thing she wanted to do was have her brother mauling someone on camera… especially in her favorite arcade. That would no doubt get them banned from another place she liked which if possible she preferred to avoid. Breathing a sigh of relief, her brother settled back down, shoving his hands into his pockets, content to watch for now.

Leah gave Patty a small nod, shrugging back to Edgar before she hurried after the girl, strolling along side her. While she was mostly mindful about eye contact when she spoke, her attention was often drawn away to the various sights and sounds to be found in the arcade. “Alrighty. Ask away I guess!” Her first interview! This was exciting.

“It feels great! Pretty much the best. I’m really lucky to have gotten a chance like this so soon… I have been watching wrestling since I was like… yay tall.” She paused briefly, bending down a bit to gesture a small height. Her brother gave her a flat look, almost walking into her as she stopped without warning.

“So when they first told me I was like… “Whaaaaaat? Me really?!” I totally couldn't believe it, like they got the wrong person or something.” She beamed happily, flashing her smile to Patty, then the camera after she remembered it was there, giving a small wave to the person holding it that hadn't been introduced. She mouthed a silent hello to Zoe.

“I guess I am making a pretty good impression! I hope so anyway. This is going to be one of the biggest moments of my life, no joke.” Leah gave a firm nod.

Leah was eager, Patty would give her that much, but she was clearly not much used to all this attention, coming off a bit hyperactive, a bit too excited. Enthusiasm was one thing, but it had to be tempered by focus, and this woman seemed to be all over the place.

Poor thing. She’d have to find out what Tension was like the hard way. The Elimination Chamber would be her crucible.

”I’ll definitely agree that you’ve made a strong impression, interacting with a number of AFW superstars, even in your short time here - two of which I believe you might be more personally familiar with. Astolfo Cam...Cam…”

”Cambarga.”

”Astolfo Cambarga is going to be in the match.” She spat that sentence out fast and made a note to cover it in post. Or get Chloe to do it. More likely the latter. ”As is Felina Rodriguez. You have a heavy hitter like Dasher Inoba to worry about, and more seasoned entrants, like Mako Adachi and Ryo Kamiya. Tell me, who are you the most worried about? Who are you looking out for?”

Leah listened quietly, idly sucking on her lips as Patty spoke. She cocked her head slightly, giving the girl a questioning look as she chimed alongside Zoe. "Cambarga." She couldn't help but giggle a bit, thinking back to that match and her opponent. She had gotten into the ring with him expecting something completely different but in the end she came away pretty happy with the results. When she found out he would be joining her in the Chamber, she was pretty pleased, not only did she want to wrestle him again, but he had been pretty sweet last they interacted. In a business supposedly so cutthroat, most of the people she met had been pretty nice, save for Levi.

"Astolfo is really good. Like REAL good. Great with submissions... or maybe I'm just bad with them... Either way it is gonna be awesome to grapple with Astolfo again." She cracked a wide smile at the mention of Felina, while her male counterpart behind her noticeably soured in his expression. "I like Fe-"

"Dasher is in your Match L?” Aside from the sharp looks, Edgar had been pretty laid back until that particular name. Glancing between Patty and the camera, he grabbed Leah by the arm. "She'll be right back."

"But we're in the middle of... whoa okay sorry one sec!" Edgar practically dragged Leah away, shooting a withering glare back at Zoe and Patty that told them without words to trespass on the twin's privacy would find this interview over very quickly, likely because they would be waking up in a hospital bed. She put a hand on Leah's shoulder, turning her away from the camera before doing the same, having a whispered and seemingly heated conversation with the girl. For the most part he was flashing her stern looks, and she was making wild hand gestures, clearly on the defensive. After awhile,  he nodded his head back over to Patty, and Leah walked back over looking like a child who had just been reprimanded for stealing cookies from the jar before dinner.

"Ah sorry..." She cast a glance back over her shoulder as Edgar walked back up, resuming his looming presence behind her with arms formed in a no nonsense pose. "Definitely Mr. Inoba. he's really big, and really tough. I think I need to be really careful around Ms. Adachi as well cause she is super kicky. I'm hoping that maybe Felina would be willing to work with me a bit, until the numbers get thinner..." Leah looked into the camera, waving again. "If you see this Felina, totally call me, we can do some super secret strategy stuff! The other won't know what hit them!" Edgar in the back facepalmed, hard.

So unprofessional.

Things had been getting good, and she knew it. Patty loved to get the juicy questions and stir up a little controversy, spin the rumor mill. This was the sort of thing that generated hits and Thumbs Up, something she direly needed with her Youtube and Patreon revenue dropping  quite a bit in recent months. She was just on the verge of getting Leah to say some interesting things about Dasher, too.

But then her brother had to come in and intervene, cutting the review off and creating an editing headache for poor Chloe.

She came back after a moment and gave an answer, but Patty could sense it wasn’t what she wanted to say, tainting by her cowlicked brother. Freedom of speech wasn’t something everyone respected. Shame.

”Very sneaky.” She threw a quick wink at the camera, getting back into character right away. ”Let’s say that things pan out for you. You win the match, and you go on to face Reira. She’s older, more experienced - how do you see your chances against her, what can you bring that no one else has? And if you beat her and take the belt, where do you go from there?”

She threw a quick glance at Edward, then leaned in, getting close while Chloe zoomed in. ”A family feud, perhaps?”

Leah glanced up thoughtfully, really thinking about the question. She was familiar with Reira, a little bit at least. She was the Tension champion after all so it only made sense to look at her matches for inspiration when she had first signed with the company. "I think my chances are a lot better against her than they are in the big elimination chamber match. I mean, that's five other people! That's pretty rough, right? But I don't know. She is really tough. You have to do to stay on top like she has, right?"

Leah tucked her hands behind her back, bouncing on the balls of her sneakers lightly. "I think I have an okay chance, more so if I train up hard! There is a whole lot more research I can do on her than she can on me... plus I can be way more patient than she is I think, and wait for the perfect opportunities to strike... Wa-pow!" Leah whipped a hand out from behind her back, punching at the air suddenly. Reflexes of a cat this one!

"After that? Well, I defend the title of course! I don't wanna be one of those champions that sits around and only pops up every so often for like... pay per view, or cherry picks opponents that are new to wrestling here in Japan just to beat up on somebody. Fans don't wanna see that, I don't think. I wanna be a fighting champion and be an inspiration to all the other people in Tension, ya'know? I haven't been here very long, but I'm still shooting for the stars! I think everyone should do that, dream super big." If nothing else, she seemed rather passionate about this. It was strange coming from someone who didn't really seem to have her act together all that well. Even Edgar seemed to let it all slide.

Until Patty chimed in again. Edgar leaned over to the side, getting in real nice and close to her microphone with a loud monotone. "No." To spike the audio recording into the red before returning back to where he had been.  

Leah smiled halfheartedly with a shrug. "The only fighting me and Ed do is over the remote control, or who gets gets the last bit of the ice cream."

That was a bit disappointing.

Not the stuff about Leah wanting to do right with the title and defending it and blah blah blah. A bit trite and boilerplate, perhaps, but just about what the audience would come to expect from any potential title holders. It would track well, engender some fans to Leah’s side, good stuff. It would play.

But she was hoping to stock the fires a bit, hit on a possible sibling rivalry. That would’ve been big news, something.she could build things around, but, instead, she was stuck with more of a dead-end. Then again, maybe she could edit a few things out, switch things around, put this word here and that word there, and…

Thought for another time. But soon.

She tapped her chin and turned to Leah again, nodding along. ”Family is important. Of course. Tension’s known for its strong brother and sister relationships, and I’m glad you’re keeping to that tradition.” Patty moved ahead and spun about, giving her the full frame for the moment. A nice parting shot. ”Before we go, any parting words? Anything to say to your friends, your opponents, the people at large?”

“Family IS important.” Leah agreed, nodding firmly. Edgar seemed to agree with a Curt nod off his own. They seemed on the same page for once. “It’s pretty cool to have so many other sibling duos out there. I know I am especially thankful for mine!” Leah quickly whirled around, wrapping her arms around Edgar to pull him into a tight hug. He didn't seem nearly as enthused by this, especially with a camera on him. The pugilist lightly pat Leah on the head, ruffling her hair which got a small giggle out of her.

After releasing Edgar, she turned back to Patty. “Hm… yeah!” She directed her bright eyes to the camera, waving for about the fourth or fifth time. “Hi Mom, hi Dad! I am gonna kick some serious butt out there in this match, hope you are doing well! Hey Felina, remember to call me. We should hang out again soon okay?”

“Everyone else….” She pointed at the camera. “You’re on notice! I am coming for all of you, and there is no running away in the chamber. It's going to be you, me, and four other VICTIMS!” She drew her thumb across her throat. “You better call a veterinarian, cause these pythons are sick!” Leah rolled up her short sleeves, giving a hard flex of her rather unremarkable arms. She dipped her head to give her bicep a kiss. Any real fire to the tail end of her little promo closer was dashed with her big adorable smile directly after. “How was that? Good right?”

”And that is a wrap!”

Leah got a small bit of applause from some of the arcade patrons, a few of whom had made a little circle about them as they walked, noting the camera. They might not have understood exactly what the Americans were saying, but the spirit came threw loud and clear.

With a sigh, Chloe clicked the camera off and did a quick check, making sure everything was good. ”It looks like we’ve got everything, boss.”

”Perfect.” She gave a thumbs up her way and spun about to face the Shaw siblings. ”Videos will be up a little bit before the match itself, so keep an on my Youtube channel: PattyO.” She handed them both a card with all her credentials listed. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, even Myspace.

”Stay in touch! And if you win the ECM or if you two ever decide to go after the tag belts…” Patty thumped her chest and winked Leah’s way, feeling she’d be a bit more receptive than her surly brother. ”Exclusive. Deal? Deal.”

And just like that, Patty was off and running with Chloe tagging close behind, heading off to track down their next subject…

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“Miss Patty, I’m really not comfortable with this. At all.”

Once again, Patty’s intern was making her concerns known at the worst possible time. Today, the two of them found themselves hanging around the Tension arena, in search of Ryo Kamiya, one of the three lauded male competitors in the Elimination Chamber match. He was an elusive man, but thanks to Patty’s keen detecting skills - and some money she paid off to one of the security guards - she was in search of her quarry and getting closer by the second.

”Chloe-”

”I know, I know what we’re going for, but-”

”Chloe…”

”But I just don’t feel this is appropriate or right or legal or-”

”Chloe!” Patty held up her hand and pressed a firm, motherly hand on her intern’s shoulder, forcing some calm into her. She was young. She was fresh. It was up to Patty to lead her and show her the way, to help her step into realms she’d been hitherto unaware of. ”Relax. We’re just going into a bathroom.”

For whatever reason, this made Chloe’s face blanch, and she pointed at the sign with eyes so wide that Patty momentarily feared they might pop out of their sockets. ”A men’s bathroom!”

And there was the crux of it. Patty just shook her head. She’d almost forgotten how prudish people back in the States could be. ”So? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before, right?”

”What?” Chloe blinked several more times than was necessary.  “That’s...I mean...what kind of logic is-”

”Ryo isn’t the easiest man to find, okay?” She wagged a finger her way. ”And this is the best chance to catch him off guard. Besides, the man wrestles in a speedo, so this is almost like his actual environment.” She started to open the door and motioned for her to follow along, which she did with hesitant steps. “Just follow my lead.”

Patty lead the way into this strange, unexplored territory, making her way around the lockers, staying low and out of sight, heading towards the sound of running water. Seemed like Ryo was in the middle of a hot shower. Perfect.

When she was close enough she came bursting around the corner with her microphone thrust out, taking care to stand far enough away that she didn’t get her rental wet. ”Ryo Kamiya? I’m Patty O’ Malley with Breaking the Tension! Care to share a few words on the upcoming Elimination Chamber Match?”

In the Tension male locker room, Ryo was enjoying a nice shower. The teen star had enjoyed a long training session in the Tension gym, in preparation for his upcoming Elimination Chamber match...and an extra "training" session with one of the cute female trainers the company paid to spot and support its talent. Granted, not the best way to prepare for a match like the Elimination Chamber...but fun nonetheless.

"AH!"

He had been washing off his hair and body, letting the hot water run down his body, steam filling the shower area, when Patty made her sudden appearance, causing him to let out a loud yelp in surprise, jumping a little as he looked at the cute reporter and her camera-wielding assistant.

"What the he...Patty O'Mal...Oh, ok, the interview girl with the show. Geez, scared the heck outta me. Bout time you finally interviewed me though, I've been here two years now!" He said, standing straight, apparently having no issues with them gazing at his nude body through the steam now that the surprise was over.

Patty was a professional. 100%. When Ryo addressed her, she kept her eyes up, her head level, her gaze focused. She didn’t look anything but the man’s face. Not the water cascading down his shoulders. Not the way his skin seemed to gleam in the light. Not his taut, slim body, dripping and shining and-

Focus. Focus.

”Yes. I agree.” She coughed, took a deep breath, and powered on. Steady as she goes, Patty. ”So! Congratulations on being a part of the first-ever Tension Elimination Chamber. Not only are you a part of wrestling history, but this could be one of the greatest opportunities of your career. How does that feel? What’s the pressure like, going through your mind?”

"Huh. Good question."

Ryo made no attempt to cover up, crossing his arms and rubbing his chin.

"I'd say it's a good mix. I mean, on one hand, I'm really excited. This is going to be a huge match, for Tension and for my career, and I'm proud to be a part of it, and I'm glad that Tension officials have finally recognized my skill and put me in...and on the other hand...I have to admit, I'm nervous. I've seen the footage of the other matches, the ones that had to end in draws, because the fighters got so hurt they couldn't keep competing. This is a pretty dangerous match, and the thought of being thrown into steel chains and slammed on steel grates...I mean, how can you even prepare for such a thing?"

He reached over, turning the water off, letting himself drip dry for a bit as the steam slowly started to clear up. "But I'm confident I can pull things through. It's a lot of pressure, true, but I plan on doing the Kamiya name proud!"

‘The Kamiya name’.

That brought up a lot of images. Being the staunch researcher she was, Patty had looked into his family history, and it went back far with the AFW. There was a story to explore there, one of a man rising to glory and snagging the top prize of his division, proving all the haters wrong...if he won. A note for later, an idea. Speedo King: The Ryo Kamiya Story.

She filed that thought away and refused on Ryo’s nipple, then re-refocused on his face. ”It’s good that you’re sincern, but not every sees you that way. There are some who think you’re just a guy who comes here to get beat around by women, not a serious competitor, a man getting paid to do what many would do for free. This is your chance - what do you have to say to people like that?”

Ryo stayed quiet for a few seconds, before nodding. "Yeah, I can see people saying that. I mean, Tai's the Kamiya everyone remembers the most, and he was just a man-whore with a bad record...despite being the only male Entropy champion and a Hentai champ. Kairi hasn't really done much, Kai retired so quietly that nobody even remembers him. So I could see why people would think I'm just here to get some easy sex and paychecks and then go away."

He finally came out of the shower room into the main locker room, the camera following him, as he grabbed a towel and started drying his hair and face off, wrapping it around the back of his neck for the moment.

"But let me assure you, I'm a very serious competitor. Yeah, I like to have my fun out there, and if making a guy or girl cum helps me get a win, then I'll do it, and given the kind of league this is, I'd be foolish not too.

But I'm not here to be the next Tai. My idols are the likes of Angel, Chigusa Yuuki, even Akashi Tanikaze, wrestlers who showed that you could be sexy, flaunt it, do hentai matches, and STILL be a great wrestler. I know my records not the best, but I'm not some one-pump jobber chump. I'm the speedo guy that took Tension World Champion Clyde Gastin to the limit. I'm the guy that BEAT former Tension World Champion Ami Takeuchi in the ring, without any hentai needed. Mixing the two just makes me a more dangerous opponent, and if you underestimate me, I will beat you. Not a bad statement, in my opinion."

The man was cocksure - ugh, what a poor choice of words.

Patty shook her head and followed after Ryo, taking care not slip on the floor and fall. The absolute last thing that she wanted was to make skin contact with these tiles.

”So you see yourself as the underdog? The darkhorse?” She strode out beside him and rounded the corner, making sure to move fast so Chloe could get a good angle of the two of them. ”You’re certainly right about your resume, showing some impressive potential. But there are those who might say you’re undeserving, too, that you and your opponents in the match are too new, that you haven’t earned this shot at the title and that it should go to more veteran opponents. You can be sure that Reira’s among those voices, too.”

Ryo had to think for a few seconds before responding, though at the very least, he finally wrapped his towel around his waist, covering himself up, and able to be fully shown on camera.

"Yeah, I suppose you could call me the dark horse...though I think I've a much better shot than that cute bunny girl they've got in the match. As for that whole "too new" complaint, screw those people. I like Clyde Gastin, he's cute, but do you think he really needs yet ANOTHER shot at the title? This is a new era, a new Tension, and the way I see it, its the new breeds time to shine. More specifically, it's MY time, to shine, ya dig?"

Chloe breathed a loud sigh of relief - one that she would have the pleasure of editing out later - and backed away to get a full shot of Ryo now that he had the towel on. Patty, wrapped up in her journalistic fervor, could hardly be bothered to notice, if truth be told.

”On that note, what do you think of your fellow ‘new breeds’? There’s quite a selection to choose from, all of them fairly fresh faces in Tension trying to claw their way to the top. What are your thoughts on your fellow competitors as individuals? Are you looking out for any of them in particular. And do you consider the lopsided count to be fair - two males against four women? Anti-man bias?”

Ryo caught that sigh, offering Chloe a wink and thumbs up in response before turning back to Patty.

"Well, yeah, it IS kind of ridiculous that there is more women than men in the match, they really could have evened things up a bit, makes it look like they don't care about the guy side of Tension. It's not fair, but hey, a challenge is a challenge, and we guys gotta prove we can handle challenges."

"The other fighters eh? Well, the only one I've faced so far is Mako, the so called shark. She's pretty cool. Her idea of play is a bit...rougher than I prefer, but we had a fun, sexy match, and she's a cool, tough chick I mean, I'm winning this thing, but she's one to watch out for.

Dasher, from what I've seen...not a fan. Dudes got a massive ego, and seems like just as massive a prick. That being said, he's really powerful, and absolutely vicious in the ring. He's by far the biggest threat in this match. I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea of being locked in a massive cage dome with him, but with enough intelligence and tenacity I can handle him.

Felina...I've seen her match with Army, the girl is tough, maybe even tougher than Mako. That whole damn family is tough. Between my size disadvantage, their speed, and that I don't think any of them would like being hentai-ed by me, I'm not eager to go up against any of that family to be honest, but I think I can handle Felina. I'm quicker, I'm clever, and I could take her down. Though, put this on record, the sister, Carmen, was hotter with hair, and it's a shame she won't do hentai matches.

The last two, Leah and Astolfo, I don't know as well. Both of them are SUPER cute though! Leah, I saw her match with that "Great Levi" person. She's got some skill, be fun to tangle with her, rare that I get to fight a girl my own size. Astolfo is absolutely adorable, and I kinda hope I don't face her in the Chamber. I'd much rather take her on a date than have to throw her against a cage. Hopefully after I win, I can get one of their phone numbers, maybe set up something private.

...speaking of private, haven't you wrestled Patty? Maybe I should challenge you to a hentai match sometime, either in the ring...or at my place..."

He smirked, leaning against the wall so he was right next to her, giving her a small flirty wink.

Patty stared at him - hard - for a moment, as a red hue took over her cheeks. Yes, it was true, that she wrestled, and she had lots of potential as an underused talent, with a perfect record backing her up, but…

”So!” She spun about on her heel and faced the camera, donning the best million-dollar smile she could put on with such short notice. ”There you have it, folks, straight from the dragon himself. Ryo is throwing down the gauntlet, looking to take the Elimination Chamber match by storm and create history. Big words from a smaller man, and can he back them up? What do the other contestants think about this ‘dark horse’ in the midst? Find out, as Breaking the Tension! continues to give you the exclusive look into this slice of history!”[/color]

---

Club Zaza was not a happy place, even during the best of times, and these were not the best of times. A dive bar in the seedy underbelly of Kyoto - as seedy an underbelly as Kyoto could have - it was something of an avoided hive of scum and villainy for the lowlier elements in the city. A place for people who didn’t like people, didn’t like to be seen, didn’t want their business questioned or their secrets ferreted out. Smaller, but discrete, with not enough lights to illuminate the room and plenty of patrons who were used to looking the other way.

In short, it was the sort of place that most women would’ve avoided. But, then again, most women weren’t Patty O’ Malley.

”Stay close to me, Chloe.” The intrepid reporter made her way into the bar with her intern close behind, the two of them standing out with their bright colors amidst the bar’s relentless grey. She took a single step and stopped, as something sticky pulled at her heel, as if something had spilled across the floor and the janitor did a terrible job of cleaning it up.

She grimaced at the though of whatever-it-was getting stuck to her expensive, designer heels, but she soldiered on and moved through the bar like a woman with a purpose. She had a job to do, and she wasn’t going to let all the weird stares bother her.

Not from that one, surly man with the white, scraggly beard.

Not from the rather butch looking woman at the table with the ridiculous spikey earrings.

Not from the hulking brute of a man in front of the jukebox, trying and failing to punch the machine into working properly.

Not from any of that, no. She paid little mind to it. All her thoughts were on the woman at the bar, the one she and Chloe were moving towards with soft steps, growing closer, until…

”Mako Adachi!” She came over and shot her microphone out towards the aspiring Tension wrestler. ”Patty O’ Malley with Breaking the Tension! Can we get a few words from you on the upcoming Tension Elimination Chamber Match?”

Mako loved dive bars. Especially this one which was filled with some of the most violent people around. The shark had come here quite a few times, and gotten into a brawl nearly every visit. Tonight was a relatively uneventful visit, though, and she was dying for someone to pick a fight. Maybe she’d won too many of her brawls and now people were staying their distance?

Sure enough, though, a woman called her name from behind before sticking an object at her. The shark almost elbowed this woman in the face, but managed to pull back before it swung too far to see it was someone who’d never be able to withstand an elbow strike.

“OH um…hey?” Mako said as she awkwardly stared at the woman who introduced herself as Patty O’ Malley. With an eyebrow raised in confusion, the shark would address her interviewer with a bottle in her hand.

“A few words…wait…do you mean for an interview or something? Well I’m kinda in the middle of..…ah fuck it…why the hell not…” Mako would say before taking a drink from her beer. “Take a seat…I don’t really have anything going on anyway.” She explained while gesturing to the stool beside her.

It was a good thing that Mako accepted Patty’s offer. While she hated to resort to throwing her muscle around, the fact was that Patty commanded a mighty army of 1.1M subscribers on her official AFW Youtube channel, all of whom were loyal and dedicated member, ready to bomb anyone she disdained on social media at her beck and call. It was a sword she didn’t want to wield, but in the name of information, she would.

”Much appreciated.” She hopped on the chair, crossed her legs, and flipped her hair back with a quick flourish, getting nice and comfortable for the camera. It would also help to keep Mako off guard, exude a sense of control.

”So, this is a big. The first ever Elimination Chamber Match in Tension, and the opportunity of a lifetime. Tell us, what was going through your mind when you heard.” She raised an eyebrow, leaned forward. ”How deserving do you think you are of this opportunity?”

Mako would listen to Patty’s question as she sat on her stool. The shark hated questions, to be honest, as she wasn’t that good at interviews, and she was kinda lazy. It might’ve been her least favorite thing about this career. Still, she had to answer it, so Mako would give it her best shot.

“First thing? I was just thinking about how I fun it was going to be.” Mako explained with a shrug. “The rougher the fight, the more fun I’ll have. Simple. Why I deserve it, though…well besides having a few good wins under my belt, I’ve got one big reason…Dasher.” The shark explained while getting a little angrier when she said his name.

“That fuck face had the nerve to low blow me right when I was kicking his sexist ass…so if he’s getting in that match…you’d better believe I’d be getting in that chamber one way or another to get back at him…so giving me a shot in this match saves people a lot of trouble…” Mako growled before talking another long cud from her beer to calm herself down.

“That’s about it…next question?” the top predator would ask almost like she looking to move this little chat along.

Hm. A lot more vulgar than Leah, this one was, and she hadn’t planned on marking it for adults like one or two of the other ones. Chloe was going to have to edit this out a bit to keep her PG-13 demographic strong and keep the censors off their back.

”Dasher.” She nodded along with that name. It kept coming up in these interviews, she found. ”That man certainly made an appreciable splash in this company for a relative new face, hasn’t he? But he’s not the only one you have to worry about in this match. Four other wrestlers are standing in your way - Astolfo, Ryo, Leah, Felina. Any thoughts on them? Words to say?”

Mako nodded as Patty spoke about Dasher, and the other opponent’s she’d be facing inside the chamber. All of them were good in their own right, but the shark could sum them up rather easily.

“Yeah…I got a few words about them…Astolfo, kinda cute…Ryo, cute butt and very fuckable…Leah, promising rookie, also happens to be adorable…and Felina, I know her cousin, the whole family is filled with badasses, and I’m pretty certain she’s one of them.” Mako would rant before finishing her beer, planting it on the corner, and waving to the bartender for another (Which happened to be her fourth of the night).

”This is going pretty well” the shark thought to herself. Heh…maybe I was worried for nothing…” Mako would think as she started to believe this interview was a piece of cake compared to others she’d been in.

The potty mouth on this one. Geez.

She tapped her chin as Mako spoke, nodding along, ostensibly aggreeing with everything that Mako was saying. On the inside, though, she was more than a little frustrated. Mako had this whole look going - the short hard, the gruff attitude, the whole ‘tough MMA fighting wrestler’ schtick that was so popular these days. This needed some shaking up.

...oh.

”But what about Reira? Say you manage to get through all your opponents and you go on to face the champion. She’s not exactly been shy about her feelings on the younger generation, and its safe to say she has a low opinion of you and everyone in the match. What would you say to her? How do you see your chances when you take her on?”

Mako didn’t really flinch that much when Patty brought up the current World Champion she’d be facing if she won the chamber match. The shark was surprised that Reira had a low opinion of rookies, though. In truth she followed the woman’s matches, but she thought her hatred was for everyone in general, not just the youngbloods. That didn’t change the fact that Mako knew she could take the woman.

“Well I thought Reira had a low opinion of everyone, but if she’s talking shit about rookies…then it sounds like someone’s a little paranoid about her place in Tension.” Mako chuckled to herself. “I mean don’t get me wrong, she’s a two time champ right? That takes some serious skill in my opinion. But it feels like Reira’s afraid someone younger than her is going to beat her ass and take that shiny…” she’d say just as the bartender handed her another drink.

“Oh thanks friend…where was I?” the shark asked losing her train of thought. “Oh right, Reira…Well if someone’s gonna take her belt I’d like to see a younger fighter do it…but if I happen to get a shot at that bitch I’ll make damn sure I walk out with her title.” Mako would say before taking a drink.

“And if I was talking to her right now…” she explained before looking right at the camera. “I’d tell the bitch that I’ve got her number…and that’s about it cause I’m guessing one of us would throw a punch after that…” Mako said with a shrug while turning back to Patty.

That seemed highly likely, yes. The part about them coming to blows within the first few seconds of each other. As to the part of her taking Reira’s title, Patty wasn’t so sure. She certainly had the confidence of a champion, she would give her that much, but confidence didn’t magically make belts fall into your lap. Did she have what it takes?

But that was a question for later days and internet fan polls. For now, Patty wanted to get to the heart of the matter. She rubbed her chin, giving Mako’s words time to sink in, before she moved on to her last question.

”So, parting shot.” She tapped the table for emphasis. ”There are those who say - not me, of course - that the Tension title’s waned more than waxed over the past few years, that it’s lost some of its relevance and needs a boost. Let’s say you win the match, beat Reira, and claim the belt - what’s next? What would you do that the champions before you didn’t? How would you put the shine back on the Tension World Title?”

As Patty was thinking Mako nearly finished her current drink. She was wondering if calling out Reira was a good strategy, but then realized it was a good way to get noticed by the champ. All Mako needed was Reira’s attention, then all she had to do was wait for the champ’s short temper to get the better of her and seek the shark out. Patty asked her final question soon, snapping the woman out of her daze. The interviewer had a point by saying the tension title hadn’t been at its best lately, but it still had some good moments.

“Hmm…well if I had the title…I guess I’d just have to make it more intense. You know? Find the best fighters…compete in the most brutal matches I can think of…if I’m holding onto that belt, I’m going to make it as difficult as I can for myself. That’s how you build interest, and it’s how I’m going to stand out.” Mako explained before finishing off her second drink.

“So got everything you needed to know?” The shark asked wondering if Patty had any other questions she might wanna ask. “I’m kinda surprised you didn’t ask me about my crushes…usually reporters hound me about that sort of thing…”

Hm. That was not the worst idea ever, actually. Patty didn’t think of herself as gossipmonger, but there was no harm in spicing things up a bit, was there? Get the ball rolling with social media, let it spiral from there .

She straightened up and lifted her chin, affecting some poise and prestige into the moment, making sure to properly convey her feelings on the matter. ”Well, I’m not your usual reporter. I pride myself on integrity, and asking the questions that matter most, giving the wrestling fans what they’ve come to hear.”

Patty was quick to drum her fingers on the table and lean forward, along with the slight narrowing of her eyes. “...but, now that you mention it, there’s no harm in digging I suppose? Who are your crushes? Any interests on bringing some of that into the ring, a hentai match, perhaps for a hentai match?”

Mako almost slapped her own face as Patty started to hound her about crushes and hentai matches. She literally only had herself to blame. Next time, though, the shark would make sure to shut he trap. Still, she might as well answer the question now that Patty was waiting for her.

“Uuuugh…fine I’ll tell you…” Mako groaned while rolling her eyes. “But only a few. I have a long list…and a lot of the names on it are a secret.” she said while leaning forward and getting in Patty’s face.

“Out of people I haven’t met…Odessa Brock, she’s smoking hot…then there’s that sexy European titan named Femke…god I can’t describe all the things I like about her…on the smaller side though there’s Kaylee Rush…she’s a cutie…As for the people  I do know…they’ll remain nameless~” Mako would rant for a while.

“I’d love to get hentai matches with tons of people…Bubbles…Manami Kuroda…Rebecca Tomko…but I'll tell you one of my crazier ideas…” the shark said before pausing for suspense.

“Hentai KO…with River Styx…” she’d finally say expecting Patty to be surprised. “I bet a lot of people wouldn’t be into that match…probably not even Styx herself…but I don’t know…she’s got the whole scary badass thing going on and she’s built like a tank…that’s all I need.” Mako would say with a shrug. “The heart wants what the heart wants..."

See, Mako started out good. Patty had enough going to stoke the fires a bit, get some gossip going. Nothing that a few posts in Twitter couldn’t get stirring. An Instagram photo here, a post from an anonymous account there. Good stuff. Stuff she could work with.

But then she kept going.

And going.

And going.

And it started to go into places that Patty had no intentions of following, with people she had no intentions of crossing. Styx, Manami, Tomko...no, thank you. On all counts.

”River Styx in a hentai KO match. That’s…” Weird, unsantiary, highly unlikely. ”...an interesting choice.” Segue now. Now. ”But, uh, not quite as interesting at the Elimination Chamber Match!” Perfect!

She raised her thumbs up to the camera with a glint in her eye, already imagining the hot shower she’d be taking to get the stink of this place off. ”Coming soon, we’ll see Tension’s hottest new talent in the ring, as Mako and many others vie for the top prize. Who’s coming out on top? That’s what your girl Patty O’ Malley is striving to find out. Stay tuned - more Breaking the Tension! is coming your way!”

---

This was it. This was the moment that Patty had been simultaneously waiting for and dreading since she started on this whole adventure, aiming to give the people the best look they could ask for the Elimination Chamber Match. She’d been to the dregs with Mako, to the showers with Ryo, to the streets with Leah. Now, however, would be a test of her true fortitude, as she went against the terror of Tension, the beast of a man who’d come to dominate the AFW ranks: Dasher Inoba.

She’d been wary of this man, knowing full well of his public and extremely anti-PC opinions. While his pedigree proceeded him, he was a man rife with controversy, earning instant infamy in the AFW, beating his female opponents and using each win to prop him and his misogynistic message up. It seemed there wasn’t a woman in the wrestling world that he respected.

But, to be fair, he’d never met Patty O’ Malley before.

She came into his gym prepared for whatever he would throw her way, dressed in a bright blue leotard with white boots, the same outfit she’d worn when she took on Nobu in her epic first match. She’d proven that she was a worthy wrestler then, that she could handle herself in a world of men both in and out of the ring, and if it came to it, she would prove it again. Here and now.

Chloe followed her close behind, keeping the camera trained on her and her triumphant strides. They garnered a few stares, mostly from men who weren’t used to seeing such a bold object of femininity in their presence.

She gave them only the slightest notice, as she made her way to the center of the room and raised her microphone high in the air. Proud and defiant.

”Dasher Inoba! I have come for an interview!”

“HUP,HUP,HUP,HUP,HUP…”

Amidst all of the hustle and bustle of a labyrinthine training facility teeming with able-bodied youths making liberal use of every dumbbell and exercise machine available, a small track team of huffing and puffing young men would make their seventh lap around the expansive workout area. Coaches were tooting their whistles for those doing jumping jacks to transition into squats and back again, with most everyone having their blood pumping and muscles flexing in whatever workout they were being subjected to.

Dasher’s gymnasium clearly embracing all forms of physical activity imaginable, with the majority not doubt appearing utterly brutal to your average pot-bellied couch potato. Those with a keen eye would notice that the facility was unsurprisingly choked full of young men, with nary a lady in sight save for the two steadfast reporters traipsing through Dasher’s domain. Once their they may have noticed themselves surrounded by what must have been an eye-catching display of handsome studs with flawless physiques pumping iron, a sight that some woman only wished were true outside of their late night dreaming.

*But each would turn their head in confusion at the bellowing reporter announcing her presence, in particular to the mountain of a man several feet away, Takeshi Inoba. Who had his beady eyes glued onto a training spar going on with two of his best pupils in the wrestling ring in front of him, adorned in his red and white tracksuit with a rising sun across it’s back.  Another pupil half his size would whisper into his ear that…

“Uh...Inoba-sama…I think they’re supposed to be your 2’oclock intervi-…”

“Wave them over!!!”

The pupil would do as he ordered and wave the dynamic duo over towards the wrestling ring. Once they approached Dasher from his side, the uptight grappler would glance in Patty’s and glower before returning his attention to the spar unfolding before him.

“Hmph!!!…You sully this proud and noble tradition by wearing that ridiculous outfit in my presence. You are either very brave or equally as foolish…time will tell which it is. Regardless…you are ten minutes early. I specifically instructed that this interview were to take place in front of my wrestling trophies in the main hall…”  

Patty was immediately confused.

She had wanted this to be a surprise, trying to catch Dasher off guard, but the man was talking and acting as if she had been expected. Had someone tipped him off, told him that Patty was coming his way, given him time to prepare? She’d kept the circle so tight, had only told…

”Chloe…” She cast a look back at her intrepid intern, who gave a nervous glance back in return, rife with feigned confusion. They would have to talk more about this.

Later. For now, she was rolling this as best as she could.

”Excuse me, sir!” She started to make her way up the stairs, only stopping on the second step to dust her shoes off. ”First off, a real wrestler doesn’t need to be framed in front of his accolades to garner respect. Second off, this is not some simple outfit I’m wearing. You and I are colleagues, and I’ll thank you to remember that.”

Firm. Tall. Strong.

Fielding reporter’s questions was becoming an irksome chore for Dasher ever since he had started his infamous Dasher Challenge. And although garnering publicity and regaining popularity for himself was always a secondary reason for engaging in this campaign of his, at times he would lose track as to which publication he was speaking with. Such as in this instance, where the burly grappler assumed Patty was  from the Kyoto Shimbun newspaper…and although he should have been tipped off by Peggy’s mentioning of them being colleagues…he was honestly only half paying attention to her. The other half still closely examining his pupils wrestling techniques with his eyes still not deviating from the match.

“Tch…I suppose it’s foolishness than. Since only a simple-minded imbecile would think they have any right whatsoever instructing ME on what it takes to be real wrestler. And a woman who dresses as a wrestler and claims herself to be one…is no different than a child dressing as a firefighter and thinks himself the same. Now…speak your mind before you risk taking up any more of my time than you already-SHOJIRO!!!! Stay light on your feet and buck your hips for a proper suplex!!!”

“H-Hai Inoba-sama!!!”

Well, she had his attention. Half of it. That was a start.

”Hmph!” She folded her arms after she stepped over, puffing herself up a bit to appear more intimidating. Wrestling was 90% mental, after all, and a lot of it came down to showing no fear, understanding psychology, things she excelled at. ”Oh, yeah?” She spat back. ”Well, a man dressed up like one of the Three Stooges should hardly be calling anyone else an imbecile!”

Ha. Expert burn.

”Now, if you’re quite done postering, we can get to the important things - talking about the Elimination Chamber Match and your place in it.” She raised an eyebrow. ”Or do I need to give you a lesson in proper etiquette first?”

The poor acoustics in the room weren’t helping Patty’s voice travel and her brave/foolhardy attempts to be sassy and talk back to the gruff bowl-cut aficionado. Which may have been in her favor, considering that if he heard the Three Stooges remark, one of the students trained in first-aid would have his hands full uncurling Patty from the human pretzel Dasher would have twisted her into. In fact it…it was only her last statement that made it to his ear amidst the cacophony of grunts and banging weights hitting the floor in the facility.

“HA!!! And just what could a scrawny, delicate little girl like you have to teach me? Cooking recipes?...Vacuuming tips?...How best to fold laundry?” Dasher smirked while still not taking his beady eyes off the match at hand.  

”Delicate?” For some reason that incensed her more than everything else Dasher had said up to this point. What did he know? What did she lack that any other wrestler couldn’t possess. He was so high and mighty, but women beat men all the time in Tension. Why should she be any exception to that rule?

”I’ll have you know I’m quite a bit tougher than I look - take care, or you’ll find out just how tough!” She wagged a finger his way, giving him a stern warning. ”I may be new to the ring, but I’ve studied the sport quite a bit in my time reporting it, have learned all the ins and outs of the business. I’m not a woman to be taken lightly, Inoba.”

This time, the raucous noises enveloping the unlikely pairing of plucky reporter and buff muscle-head would not impede any of what Patty had to say. His left ear twitching from what he distinctly recognized…as a challenge. Years of competitive grappling having honed Dasher’s mind to sense one when it was being thrown his way.

“Oh HOO…is that right?” Dasher ominously asked before finally turning his head downward towards the intrepid reporter who may have just bit off more than she could chew. Dasher than blew into his whistle twice to signal the end of the match and for the two young grapplers in the ring to take a break, which they gladly did with an exhausted huff before exiting the ring that Dasher himself would than enter.

“How’s about we put your knowledge of the wrestling business to the test and have ourselves a little Mini-Dasher Challenge right here and now? A sparring match between the two of us…and you let me see just how tough you really are?” Dasher stated with a smug smirk before flinging off his jacket but keeping his track pants on for this little dust up of theirs.  

...wow, this was happening. Patty had heard tales about this sort of thing, how wrestlers would often find themselves in fights outside of the ring, get involved in untelevised matches. Brawling in the streets, the stores, the parking lots, anywhere they wanted. She didn’t much see the point of it, wrestling when no one was around to watch, but the idea excited her to no end. So wild.

But she hadn’t imagined she would find herself in one so soon in her career. And against such a high-profile wrestler...this was what her career needed. All the hits, all the views, all the media she could market of this…

She was practically salivating when she handed the microphone off to one of his subordinates. ”Have it your way, Dasher!” She made her way into the ring and started to stretch, twisting her hips left and right, getting nice and limber. ”I’ll show you what a woman can really do!”

The wincing grimaces on the two wrestling pupils at ringside painted the story of what was transpiring in the ring at this very second. The chaos unfolding being like a car-crash in that it was violent, attention-grabbing, and had you immediately concerned for the poor soul involved. Several ring shaking slams later, and before Dasher could even work up a sweat, the bowlcut grappler would be seen exiting the ring after the match’s conclusion while slapping his hands together in a mock gesture of being finished. He snatched up his jacket and zipped it back up with a hardy grumble. One of his pupils following close beside him as he made his way towards the double doored exit, with the other entering the ring to check on Patty with the mic she gave him still in his hand.

“Hmph…so much for what a woman can do. What a complete waste of my time…and what kind of shoddy organization IS Tension anyway? You’d think they would send a reporter to interview me about my upcoming Elimination Chamber Match, the perfect place for me to make an example out of this farce of a wrestling organization by humbling five of its best competitors all at once. You let me know the instant that reporter arrives, you understand?!”

“H-Hai, Inoba-sama!!”

Chloe, in the meantime was left with a nigh-unconscious Patty O’ Malley to film. She kept the tape rolling, not sure what to do next, really. The woman was a groaning, sluggish wreck now, after having been ragdolled about the ring, in a match that more closely resembled a dogfight with a Chihuahua and a Great Dane. She wanted to feel bad for her employers, she really did, but the truth was that she’d sort of walked into that one.

One things was for sure, though: the editing on this one would be a nightmare.

Today was going to be a weird day.

Patty O’ Malley had come across so many oddities in her time as a reporter, tackled strange things that most people couldn’t even imagine. She’d met with some of the biggest, scariest wrestlers this side of Killer King. Strange gimmicks held by stranger people, good guy and bad guys, the sane and insane, the queerest folk that Tension had to offer.

But today she would have to sift through uncharted waters, going where few in her profession ever dared to tread. Today, she was going to wade through a sea of the most cantankerous, dangerous, ill-mannered people alive: Star Wars fans.

She and Chloe made their way through the crowd of Celebration Japan, a convention held to champion all things Star and/or Wars related. Over there was a man dressed as one of those large, furry things...Ewoks, she was pretty sure they were called. Over there was some many debating the finer points of lightsword selection with his comrades. Over there was some man dressed up in dark robes with a bunch of buttons on his chest and a weird mask that made him sound like Mufasa.

All fascinating things, really, but Patty and Chloe were looking for one geek out of them all, one woman amongst throngs: Astolfo. They’d gotten a tip that she was in attendance, and now they scanned through the crowd in search of her, left and right. Chloe kept her camera at the ready, prepared to start rolling at a moment’s notice, and Patty used her keen eyesight to sift through the crowd, searching for that distinct frame, the unmistakable hair.

She had to be around here, somewhere…

Astolfo was having the time of his life, now cosplaying as a Jedi knight in a star wars convention.  He was wearing the typical Jedi robes and clothing and even had his hood on, this would make it hard for people to spot him.  In addition he was also carrying his purple colored lightsaber.  He originally wanted a pink one but such lightsabers were not really seen in the movies so he had chosen to go with the purple one.

At the moment he was hanging out with several of his friends, most had chosen to dress up as stormtroopers.  Though one had decided to dress up a Sith Lord.  The group were now in a line up, getting ready to go to the next booth, where they would met some actors and be able to ask some questions as well as buy some merchandise.  As the waited a small crowd would come to Astolfo and take pictures before leaving as another crowd would then come and go as well.  It was something to be expected and often happened to him when he cosplayed.

This was turning into a nightmare.

Finding Astolfo wasn’t like finding a needle in a haystack, it was like finding one, specific needle in a stack of needles. She and Chloe had been searching for at least two hours, but no one seemed to have any idea where the wrestler was - which was weird, considering he was a fairly well known celebrity, a wrestler in the AFW. That meant he was likely in costume, Patty deduced. And that raised many, many problems.

She was just about to consider calling it a day when she happened upon a bunch of Jedi monks getting their pictures taken, one of whom seemed to have a fairly familiar face that she keyed on. Curious, she came over and leaned in, staring their way.

”Astolfo?” She called out, praying she would get a response.

Astolfo was now half way through the line, talking with his friends before he heard someone call his name.  He didn’t recognize the voice so when he turned to see two ladies who were interviewers he would raise an eyebrow.  “Yes, I’m Jedi Master Astolfo, do you require assistance?” stated the pink hair wrestler who was staying in character.  He wasn’t sure what they wanted but was happy to help in any way he could.

Jedi. Master. Astolfo.

So, it was going to be one of those interviews.

Patty took a deep breath and recentered her world. Clearly, she’d have to be the voice of reason and sanity here. Astolfo seemed locked deep into nerd mode, and there was little chance of getting her out, so Patty would have to speak her lingo in order to soldier through it.

"Yes...yes, I do. I humbly seek your council, dear master, and I request but a moment of your time.” She put a little British in her voice, gave it that neat accent. “I would love to get a few words with you about the upcoming Elimination Chamber, to now how you feel about taking part in this historic event.”

So it seemed they were here for an interview.  Well that kind of made things a bit hard on Astolfo part as he fully intended to take himself as a cosplayer seriously.  He honestly would have preferred to have done the interview elsewhere.  Still he also felt bad for her, she had gone out of her way to find him and even attempted to do it in character.

“I see, well I am honored to take part in such an event.  I am sure it will be fun and rough but that is part of the whole thing right.  Best part is I get to met a lot of new people and see all sorts of skills up close and in person.  I’m a bit surprised that I was picked.” stated Astolfo in usually upbeat tone.

There was something off about this woman. Something that Patty couldn’t quite put her finger on, something just on the tip of her. The more she spoke, the more it seemed to stand out, and she couldn’t help but wonder...was she really German?

”You’re not the only one who’s a bit surprised.” Patty nodded along. ”As the fourth female competitor in this match, there’s been some protest from people complaining that the male side of Tension should have equal representation, calling for you or one of the other women to be replaced with one of the newer men. What do you say to these criticisms?”

Astolfo and his friends would all become silent when they heard Patty question before all of them started to burst out laughing.  “Astolfo, you have done it once again.” stated one of his friends who was cosplaying a stormtrooper.  “You sure your not a Sith?” said his female friend who was cosplaying as a Sith.

After they all stop laughing, Astolfo would look at Patty.  “Well I don’t think people should be so quick to jump to conclusions and make a decision so quickly.” he stated in a friendly tone.  A few of the stormtroopers were still giggling.  Though the group had not planned for such an interview, they truly seemed to be enjoying themselves, it was a great way to pass the time as they waited in line.  

Patty just stared at her for a moment, her head tilted slightly to the side by the complete non-answer she’d received. No real statement of her feelings on the decision, whether she thought it was a good idea or a bad idea. It was an answer that could’ve been applied to almost any question with similar results, and gave her nothing to latch on to.

That was a new thing. She didn’t like it.

”Um...right…” She chewed her lip for a moment, before deciding to go to the reliable standbys. ”So, what’s your opinion of the field, then? You’ve already had some interaction with one of your opponents, Leah Shaw, in one of Tension’s rarer female versus female matches. How do you rate your chances against her this time? And what about the others?”

Astolfo was now getting a bit annoyed at the person interviewing them.  He was asking what he thought about Leah since the two of them had a match in Tension.  Though it was clear the person interviewing them had not watched the match nor had done her research, if she had, she would have known that Astolfo was actually a male and not a female and his time would have not been wasted.  But he was a Jedi and it was not the Jedi way to let themselves be ruled by emotions.

“You didn’t watch that match, did you?  I will still answer your question anyways.  Leah is pretty talented and will be a threat in this match.  That being said, this is an elimination chamber match, look at the last elimination chamber match, none of the favorites won it.  It’s almost like a game of russian roulette.  I would say my chances are simply one in six, though maybe I can get creative and pull out some interesting tricks to give myself an advantage.  Win or lose I am just happy to be able to take part in such an event and be part of history in the making.” stated the pink hair wrestler in a neutral tone, though he and his friends would then move up a bit as the line started to move a bit.

Patty had, indeed, watched the match...the first part of it. When it started to look like things might get a little R-Rated, she had to turn off, because her AFW Network subscription didn’t cover that content, and she wasn’t about to be ripped off and pay the extra $5 dollars a month just to get past it.

She moved up with him along the line, contemplating her next question and making sure to stand out from the crowd. The  last thing she wanted to do was blend in with a crew like this.

”What about Reira, though.” She stepped along, keeping pace with Astolfo. ”Let’s say you succeed, the odds are in your favor, and you manage to pull out a win. Do you think you’re ready to take on the champion? And if you get past her, what will an Astolfo championship look like?”

Reira, now that was someone Astolfo had never faced and she looked pretty tough and a bit mean.  Still, he didn’t want to judge people based on their looks.  “Well, Reira sure is a power player, someone not to be taken lightly.  I will be keeping my eye on her.  Still I think I might have a few tricks to gain an advantage over her.” he stated as he then took a moment about what would happen if he won the championship.

“Hmm… that is a good question, never really thought about it much.  I would throw a huge party to celebrate and go on tour and do all sorts of stuff.  I would also offer Leah Shaw a rematch, she was pretty fun to wrestle.” he stated as he would then giggle a bit, the line would continue to move, the group now getting close to the end.  

As they moved, Patty could see that the end of the line wasn’t too far off from the end of...whatever it was for. Autographs, most likely. She didn’t seem much of the purpose for waiting for such silly things, but then, she didn’t much get the point of any of this, really. Not her generation, not her time.

”All noble goals.” Patty nodded along, then turned back to the camera. ”But it’ll take more, much more, than noble goals to secure this win and take the championship. Does Astolfo have what it takes to climb the heap over the other rookies? Find out at the Elimination Chamber Match, and stay tuned as your girl, Patty O’ Malley, continues to bring you the goods.”

Everything was set. Everything was right. Zoe was sure of it, but she did a mental check anyway, just to be sure.

She had spent the last twenty or so minutes getting the Rodriguez apartment ready for the interview. She always felt odd, moving other people’s stuff around, but they’d been quite accommodating all around, all things considered. Let her come in on a Saturday, helped her with the equipment, and they didn’t seem to mind that she would be doing this instead of Patty. If anything, they seemed more eager to do it with her. Couldn’t imagine why that would be.

Their living room was cleared of furniture, save for the two chairs in the middle, and the camera was situated just far enough to keep them both in frame. Zoe herself was dressed in a prim blue business suit, her skirt short but not too short, her high heels high but not too high. It was all a bit much, she knew, but it all helped to calm her. The more she looked the part, the easier it was to sell it to herself.

”Okay, I’m ready.” Felina came in wearing a short brown and a white camisole with a silver streak down the side, highlighting her vibrant hair. It was easy to see how she’d done well as a model and a kickboxer - she had the form, the smile, the brightness, all of it.

Zoe motioned for her to take a seat nearby, then took a deep breath to ready herself. They’d already gone over all of the particulars, made it clear what sort of questions she’d be asking for this interview. It wouldn’t be quite the random, out-of-nowhere style that Patty preferred, but Zoe hoped that she could make up for the lack of shock value with, well...quality.

She clicked a button in her pocket, the camera turned on, and she began.

”Hello, and welcome to Breaking the Tension! I know, I know - I am not Patty O’  Malley. Instead, I’m the woman behind the camera, Zoe Walters...not currently behind the camera, as Patty is currently feeling a bit under the weather.”

She gave the camera an unapologetic nod, then turned to Felina, who straightened up and fought her jitters. ”Today, I’m here with the final entrant into the Elimination Chamber Match, Felina Rodriguez. Felina, thanks for agreeing to speak with me.”

”Oh, yeah, no problem.” Felina perked up and waved it off. While it was clear that she wasn’t unused to the camera, having it up close and personal was a new thing. Zoe was sure she could work her through it. ”Just a little more attention than I’m used to.”

”Is that a fact?” Zoe took a quick glance at the notecard she had at her side, one that was nearly full of Patty’s suggestions for questions, all in borderline unintelligible screed. It was tempting to take the easy route and go with what her ‘boss’ wanted, but a little voice was pushing Zoe to be more creative. Have some gumption. Seize the moment, like Patty was always championing. ”Let’s focus in on that, shall we? How does it feel to be in the spotlight like this, to have such an important opportunity despite your relatively short Tension career?”

Felina opened her mouth to speak, then closed it just as quick, as if she wanted to take a little more time to ponder her words. ”It’s unexpected, definitely. I honestly thought my ceiling would be the 24/7, you know?”

”Like your cousin.”

”Bingo.” Felina snapped her fingers. ”Like, if she’s been here this long and still not had a go at the title, what chances do I have? And yet, here I am. So it’s weird. Like, I want to win, I want go further than Carmen did, but at the same time…” She exhaled, a long, sustained breath. ”Daunting. Think that’s the right word. Daunting.”

”I can only imagine.” Zoe nodded. ”Sort of like taking the final exam…”

”...for a class I just started. Right.”

”So how do you prepare for that, then? What steps are you taking?”

”Well,” Felina tapped her chin, then nodded to the side, drawing some attention to a family photo on the nearby dresser. Carmen, Armando and Felina, together at the beach, smiling at the camera - at least, Carmen and Felina were smiling. Felina had to pull Army’s cheeks and forced it out of him. ”Carmen’s been grilling me pretty hard, training, going over tapes and stuff. That’s kind of the big difference between preparing for this match versus a singles. You have to know what to expect from each opponent, think about they might work together, how you can play them off, who you can work with, stuff like that.”

”And then the order of release might screw it all up, anyway.”

Felina ran a hand through her shimmering brown strands and groaned. ”Carmen’s pointed that out to me a few times. More than a few times.” Felina crossed her legs for a moment, then apparently decided she liked them better uncrossed. ”Back when I was kickboxing, things were simple. You come out, you have your match, you win or you lose, you leave. Here, you have steel cages and no disqualifications and everything is just so complicated.” She wiggled her hands about. ”But it’s a challenge, I’m up for it.”

Zoe gave her a solid nod. ”You sound as ready as one can get. Do any of your opponents worry you more than others?”

”Well, Dasher’s the big threat, obviously. A meathead, but he’s got a lot of skill, and Carmen told me he hits like a truck, so....yeah. I actually think Ryo or Leah could be the two darkhorses, though?”

”Really?” Zoe folded her arms and canted her head to the side. ”Why them?”

”Just between you, me, and the viewers, Leah’s good. Real good.  From what I’ve seen of her, she’s better than you’d think at first glance. Levi ‘the Great’ learned that the hard way.” She threw up the air quotes for that one. ”Good focus, and a good style. Really athletic. Ryo’s in a similar boat.”

”Yeah, it can be a bit hard to get past his whole speedo gimmick…” Zoe scratched her head. “...thing.”

”I’ve noticed, trust me.” Felina’s brows furrowed along with a sigh. ”But if you let that distract you too much, you miss the fact that he’s a pretty competent pro wrestler. So you have to be on the lookout.”

Zoe nodded, getting where she was coming from. ”In a way, you’re all darkhorses, all people that no one really saw coming before. That’s kind of the thing with Tension - there’s always new talent coming in, always someone trying to fill a spot. The AFW has one of the highest hiring rates of any wrestling federation in the world.” She leaned forward with her fingers tented. ”What do you say to the newcomers? The young wrestlers trying to get in and make a name for themselves, like you have?”

One of Felina’s hands went to the armrest of the chair, drumming her fingers against it, while the other stroked her chin. Deep contemplation, here, and she only broke it after a good five seconds of pondering. ”To just stay with it, I’d say. I know it can get rough, believe me. You lose. You get beat up. Some days just suck, no matter how much you try to make them better. But there’s always a light at the end of the tunnel, even if you can’t see it. You’ll get there.” She threw a sheepish smile Zoe’s way, with a shrug to match. ”Too corny?”

Zoe replied with a small shake of the head and a smile. ”No. No, I think you nailed it.” She moved around in her chair, just enough to face the camera and direct her smile towards it. That was a good enough note to close out on, and now came the part she’d been rehearsing for the past two days. ”And there we are, with the final word from the final entrant into the Elimination Chamber match. The stage is set for what could potentially be the biggest moment in Tension history. Six combatants. One match. One chance to seize the greatest prize in our promotion. Who’s going to seize that opportunity, will she or he be able to capitalize on when they face Reira? There’s only one to find out, dear viewers. Stayed tuned…”