Athena Wonder vs. Wicke Sykes - Apex Qualifier Match

[PrinceArjuna332]

With her failure to end the match with her Samoan drop, Athena planned to do something else instead. Making her way towards Wicke, Athena would grab her opponent and make sure to have her lean towards her, with the back of her neck pressing against her shoulder. At the same time, she would then reach down to both Wicke's legs, securing her hold around them.

With the set up complete, Athena prepared herself to hoist Wicke up, holding her upside down in preparation to execute one of her powerful match-ending move, Kinniku Buster. Not only that Wicke would be held upside down on Athena's shoulder, her legs would also be spread. If Wicke couldn't get herself out of this position, then her fate would be sealed.

[SwordSavior1]

Thanks to Athena directing the action, Wicke would be forced to keel over while brushing against the blonde's shoulder.. Feeling a few more goosebumps once her legs were grasped. Past memories started to resurface after a bit of skin to skin contact. Not long ago in her match against Alaina Sanders, she dealt with being forced into a vulnerable upside down stance with snagged legs. What could have been a strong step for Wicke was reversed into another stepback thanks to the Buster.

Putting two and two together, kicked Wicke's mind into overdrive as she mentally begged that this wasn't a trend. Relaying on past experience, she needed to ensure the freedom of her legs and act fluidly before the devastating move was sealed. Timing was absolutely everything here. Her near arm no longer feeling a bit numb, she tried coiling as much around Athena's neck and while her other free hand could only pinch the powerhouse's waist. Praying that Athena didn't notice this as she hoisted the scientists up into the air, Wicke in succession would attempt to threw her legs upwards to elude the blonde's grip.

Provided that this fell through and the blonde was slow to react, Wicke bound her thighs together and thrusted downwards. A gradual decline in which Athena's neck still connected them both, thus the superheroine would be forced to keel over due to the own major shift in balance. Now here came the trickiest part, once her feet made contact with the mat again in a hopefully upright stance, still clenching onto Athena's body she would try to carry this momentum and hoist the blonde up instead!

[PrinceArjuna332]

Athena actually expected the move to go on without a hitch, believing that her opponent was in no shape to actually turn the table at this very moment. First, she felt Wicke's arm around her neck, and then she lost her grip on her legs. It happened way too quick for Athena that her planned finisher was instantly thwarted. Not only that, Wicke also had secured her grip around her head, and instead of doing the lifting, Athena found herself being the receiving end of being lifted after Wicke regained her footing.

Caught totally off-guard by the sudden shift, Athena was unable to resist whatever Wicke was doing, and she couldn't simply haphazardly shake herself free, knowing that it could bring more harm than good. All she hoped for was for it to be quick. If she was lucky, she might survive this, but she knew that whatever Wicke was planning to do, it would be something that she might not be able to shrug off easily.

[SwordSavior1]

If poorly time for even a second or the slightest inch off, this move could have ended even more disastrous for Wicke. Testing past the absolute limits of her focus and stamina was the only fathomable explanation for the match to have not concluded already. These restraints remained relevant as the purplette almost dropped her opponent from the slightest of wobbles.

She couldn't waste any time while her upper muscles were close to tearing apart. It was all or nothing, because Wicke would absolutely be unable to stand after the next bump. "(3...2...)" Counting down mentally before channelling her remaining strength to coordinate a sudden twist of Athena's body, falling back so the heroine would be dropped onto her head for a Shattered Psyche Brainbuster!

[PrinceArjuna332]

It felt like Athena's world was rendered upside down. She wasn't sure what was actually happening here. A while ago, she was at the cusp of victory as she set Wicke up for a devastating Kinniku Buster, but now, she was held upside down by the very same Wicke whom she thought had nothing left in her. In this position, Athena had no other choice but to resign to the eventuality of being brought low to the mat, and sure enough, Wicke fell back, bringing Athena with her, sending her head first into the mat with a devastating brainbuster!

"HRRGHHHH!!!"

The sheer force was simply too much for Athena to handle. When her entire body finally hit the mat, she went limp, as if blacking out. It was clear that there was no way she could pick herself up from such devastating fall. Whatever fight that was left in Athena had been extinguished by the powerful move that Wicke had executed on her. The crowd went crazy from such spectacle, and now, Wicke would be free to bring this match to an end in however way she wished.

[SwordSavior1]

While not on the level of her opponent, Wicke's own mind was distorted by this sequence of events. In such a short timespan, she morphed from a wounded gazelle into an ambush predator. After forcing the ring to shake due to her twisted brainbuster, the impact forced Wicke to roll to a kneel, allowing her to glimpse the blonde's immobile body.

Unable to hear the electrified crowd due to the sound of her heartbeat, the now boiling woman took a massive gulp of air before setting off on the final stretch. Pawing at the mat and stretching out her legs at a modest pace, the fallen superheroine became closer and closer. Before she could crack from her own pressure, the purplette took a leap so she would be land on top of the prone Athena's body and cover her for the pin. A wheeze followed in which the referee started counting.

"1!" Will Wicke end the qualifying stage with a higher record?

[PrinceArjuna332]

Athena was laid out on the mat, motionless. It was hard to tell whether she was unconscious or not. Her eyes were half-lidded and she didn't make any effort to pick herself up. Then, Wicke came over to her and with a little bit of exertion, she brought herself on top of the downed heroine. With Athena now pinned, the referee proceeded to count for the pin, and the audience counted along.

"TWO!"

"THREE!"

And that was it. The third and final count. With that, the match was finally brought to an end. The bell was rung, and Wicke was announced as the winner of this match. The arena was filled with loud and raucous roars and cheers, energized by the actions displayed by both wrestlers in the ring. The match would certainly be something to remember.

[SwordSavior1]

Putting her all in that brainbuster and pin, Wicke had to hand this operation over to decide if she could still achieve success. The purplette mentally prepared for a super kick out at any moment, but as the count increased and Athena still remained motionless, Wicke would realise that the fruits of labour were actually hers.

She managed to gain the three count followed by a resounding bell. Certainly a spectacle of a match on both ends. Even as the announcer made their declaration and the referee raised her arm, the scientist was ecstatic about her recent accomplishment. Apparently recalling an old failure led to a success. The reversal was pure evidence of that. Managing to going beyond all barriers and attain a favourable position in the Apex race. Could she actually go all the way?

After a few minutes passed, Wicke would overtime regain the strength to make a standing ovation. Once upright again, she appealed to her dutiful fans with a few striking poses, but the purplette had to cut this celebration short to address the fallen. "You were a worthy foe and that shall never be disputed. Perhaps another bout someday where we make a mark on history..." A helping hand offered to the superheroine to Athena so they can both exit with their longlasting pride preserved.

[PrinceArjuna332]

Athena stirred as she sensed that the match was over. It was her loss. Letting out a resigned sigh, she sat up, groaning a bit, still feeling the impact from having her head dropped by her opponent earlier. Then, Wicke addressed her, and she smiled. "Yeah. Let's hope we can face each other again next time." Despite the match ending with her defeat, she actually enjoyed the bout. "Congrats for the win. You deserve it."

The match ended with both Athena and Wicke reaffirming their spirit of sportsmanship. Despite the loss, Athena actually felt good. And she hoped that she could face Wicke in the ring once again. And that time, she would make sure that she would be the one to emerge victorious. This defeat would serve as a lesson for her, improving herself not only as a wrestler, but also as a human being. After all, to better oneself is to be human.

Winner: Wicke Sykes via pinfall!