Graduation Day

[BlackAkuma]

Saturdays were, traditionally, a sacred time for Freezer Katakura. She typically did her business during the bulk of the week - her training, her matches, her perfume work, all of it fit into a tight schedule, meticulously planned from day to day. She’d always been a stickler for time, never wanting to waste a minute that she could use efficiently, and while it made things productive, it could be a tiring, breathless way to go through life.

Saturday was her time to recharge. Massages and saunas, pedicures and jacuzzis. Netflix, HBO Max, Disney +. Ordering out, sleeping in. Her time. ‘Me’ time.

But not this Saturday. And not for the last few Saturdays.

It had started as a small thing with her Kiss Club. Over the years, she’d infrequently used some of the hardier girls as sparring partners for simple training - if a gaggle of girls followed her around all day, she might as well get some use out of them. Usually, they could only help her with basic things, nothing too special.

But, about two or so months ago, she’d hone in on four of her girls with actual potential. All green, of course, but fast learners, becoming more than punching bags. She hadn't brought them along with the intention of teaching them, not at first. But the more they worked together, the more it grew into that—small pointers here and there, which turned into instructions and actual lessons. Putting them through the paces, teaching them actual moves and techniques, handing out training assignments, suggesting matches to review, and having them return a little better each time.

It was a gradual evolution, little things, but at some point, Freezer had just grown into their trainer. The weirdest things, but honestly? She did not hate it. Teaching was more edifying than she could’ve imagined. Enriching. There was potential here, and she was watching them grow in real-time, get better and better, the beginnings of real wrestlers. Wrestling could be full of ego and exhausting, such a thankless business, but this was rewarding in ways she’d never dreamed, probably the closest she would ever get to having children.

A strange thing, to have pride in someone other than herself for once, but it was suiting her. While she still had many years left and wasn’t about to hang up her boots anytime soon, it was enough to make up her mind - at some point, she would move into full-time training.

But those were future thoughts. Here, in the present, she had a job to do, and that job found her in LAW’s fabled gym, running the ropes in a ring she’d reserved for the day, dashing from side to side while her phone played

to help get her in the mood. Instead of the typical gym wear she had on for their training sessions, she’d opted to wear her

, and she’d asked them to come in something closer to actual ring attire, as well. A stark change that she hoped would communicate something to her girls - this was not going to be like their usual ‘class’. She had something special in mind.

[HotWheels]

"I think you jump to a conclusion, like always."

"C'mooon! Why would she tell us to dress up like this if we ain't gonna get a shot?"

"To show that we know how to dress? And is that my shirt?"

"...No?... Yes. But it's got a hole in it already."

"One you made..."

Zelda would have told the two bickering behind her to get a room if they didn't already have one. Instead, she turned around and peered flatly at Bobbie, then at E. While she did agree more with Bobbie, who seemed to think the four of them being asked to attend one of these training sessions in actual ring gear meant they might have a chance to wrestle a real match soon, she didn't want to add any more fuel to the argument. She took one thumb out of the strap of the skimpy bottoms she had found - she had worn these a lot back in her late teens at European metal shows - and flicked a hand at them.

"You can fucking see who's right in two minutes. You can take a bet on it, and I'll shred the shirt off of the one who is wrong." She stuck her tongue out at them, having it join her usual terrifying smile, and the two did settle a bit - precisely because Zelda meant it, and they knew it. Bobbie probably wouldn't have minded it, but E would. So if Bobbie thought that E might lose that bet, Zelda was betting she would shut up, too. And she did. The four of them took a dozen steps in silence, and Zelda fixed her boobs in her top. She thought she looked pretty hot, to be honest.

"Bobbie's probably right though, isn't she?" Zelda threw her hands up and groaned in exasperation. Fucking Charlie had to bring the conversation out of the grave.

"No, seriously! Are we ready for that? A LAW wrestling ring?"

Zelda took a scrutinizing look over at her. She had easily chosen simultaneously the most conservative and dumbest outfit of all. She looked like a Temu superhero. But she still had half of her ass hanging out, so- "If you go into a ring looking like that, you will make the crowd think you are ready for more than wrestling." E tore into laughter after a heartbeat, and Charlie sheepishly pulled at her bottoms to cover up more. It was the most feminine part she had, and those bottoms weren't gonna cover it anyday. Zelda grinned her sinister grin.

But altogether, this had her in a hell of a good mood, too. This sounded like... it. Something was happening in this training today, and the woman they idolized was going to move them one step closer to turning their fandom into a partnership. Zelda was rocking her head in anticipation when they reached the gym, and she was the first to spot their idol occupying a ring. In her own ring gear.

She turned a wicked eye on E. "I think you would lose your shirt if you took the bet." That said, she started her jog over, and the rest, whispering to each other, soon followed.

Zelda

E

Bobbie

Charlie

[BlackAkuma]

While Freezer couldn't make out the exact words that were being said, she could hear the group coming down the halls long before she saw them. Few people hung out in the LAW gym on Saturdays, one of the main reason she’d chosen the day for their training, and the quietness made even the smallest noises reverberate down the hallways. The quartet were an unmistakable sound together, laughs and growls and tones from a wide variety of accents, and she’d grown accustomed to their harmony. Enough that it automatically brought a smile to her face.

She was still doing her routine, and capped it off by leaping over the top rope as they all came into the gym, pretending that someone had just thrown her over in a battle royale. She grabbed the rope before her feet could touch the floor, pulled herself up, and backflipped back into the ring to a standing position, ‘Skinning the Cat’. She liked to show them some of the more advanced maneuvers give them a taste for what they should be shooting for.

She whipped her hair back and stepped back over to the ropes, done showing off for now, and took a hot second to peer the group over, noting their choices. Bobbie was the most stylish, the ripped stockings were a slick addition. E was going for simple but seductive, showing off those legs with the fishnets and the right amount of makeup. Goti’s body was pouring out of her top, never afraid to show off those curves, and Freezer approved. And Charlie…

Freezer put a hand to her face to cover the laugh and a too-wide smile. She’d managed to get her grin down to normal levels and just gave the girl a soft, knowing sigh. ”The mask is a nice touch, Charlie.”

All in all, they looked the part. Pro Wrestling was 50% style, so that was no small hurdle to jump.

Freezer gave them all an approving nod and leaned over the ropes, looking down on them with a hint of mischief in her gaze. ”Ladies.” She scanned them over, side to side. ”How are we feeling today?”

[HotWheels]

"Told ya so, told ya so, told ya- mmmph."

Bobbie got E's hand shoved over her mouth for repeating her chant into the Russian's ear, but that was fine with her. She licked at the palm until E pulled it away with a look of disgust, and Bobbie flicked her glasses back into place with a grin. This was it! They had worked their asses off, and the lady all of them wanted to be (or wanted to be with, though they had gotten past that early stage of infatuation... mostly. Slightly. Knid of?) was going to give them what they needed to take that next step. She almost danced a jig as they made their way over to the ring.

In fact, she was so excited that she nearly missed the maneuver that had all the rest of them harmonizing an ooooh. She caught the tail end of it - enough to know what the bosslady had done - and quickly added her voice to the chorus, along with uproarious applause and a whistle that made Zelda again look at her flatly. She stuck her tongue out in return for the earlier gesture from the German, but soon enough, the four of them had lined up like dutiful followers at the side of the ring, ready to show off their gear.

Bobbie thought herself good enough at reading faces that she believed Freezer had given her getup the big stamp of approval. The biggest one? That she didn't know, but she did lean toward E's ear. "Thanks for the shirt." The Russian flipped her hair toward Bobbie, who swatted it away. But the two of them were on pace with the same laughter when they saw Freezer's countenance change once she reached Charlie in the lineup. And naturally, it was Bobbie who had to ruin a good thing.

"Zelda already told her she had to get by on ass!", she called, and while E swatted her on the shoulder, Zelda had to nod her agreement, reach over, and pop Charlie on the rear before the Canadian could shrink back and try to cover up her butt again. The German's laughter could have unsettled Cthulhu.

She was still doing so when Freezer posed her question, and of course, Bobbie came in hot once more, briefly drowning out Zelda and E's declarations that they were "fuckin' ready" and "good." "Like you're about to give us your last big blessing for the big leagues! Am I right?" she blurted, and though Zelda and E both looked dissatisfied, they both slowly nodded their agreement and looked up to their idol expectantly.

Charlie did the same when she recovered from her embarrassment. "And you are dressed up too... Sooooo..."

[BlackAkuma]

Freezer gave them another once over, this time trying to get a read on their general mood. Excited, all of them, though that tended to be their default. They were a group of energetic women, each of them a spitfire in their own way, which was one of the reasons she had been so drawn to their little group in the first place. Each one of the girls complimented the other in a way, like a little puzzle that came together, and she’d grown so accustomed to their mannerisms that she could practically read their minds.

Zelda, confident and boisterous, looked ready for anything that was coming her way.

Charlie was stepping out of her shell with her shy, bursting energy. She had teased her about the outfit, and it was warranted, but it suited her.

E was reserved, but she had to be - someone had to balance the others out, Bobbie most of all.

And Bobbie, was…

Freezer had made a little personal bet that Bobbie would be the first one to speak out and make the logical leap to what was going on. The girl never missed an opportunity to speak her mind, though there was always a chance Zelda would beat her to it. Not so today. She closed her eyes and enjoyed a knowing huff of a chuckle as the Southern drawl flew her way. Of course, she wasn’t giving it up that easily. Always the tease, even now.

”You might be.” She let the answer hang for a few moments as she opened her eyes and stroked her chin, her soft smile growing into grin devious enough to rival Goti’s legendary one. She chewed her lip, then straightened up with her hands on her hips.

”Here’s how this is going to go.” She brought authority to her voice, the bass she took on when she demanded their attention. ”You all want to be in the 'big leagues'. I want that for all of you, and I think you’re ready.” She was quick to bring a finger up, not wanting them to get too excited. Not yet.

”But I want to know it. So, we’re having some matches. Each of you is going to take me on. Charlie, Zelda, you both have three…” She rolled her jaw, contemplating. Better to add a minute to it. More reasonable, plus it might push them to try for three just to impress her. ”No, four minutes. Four minutes to put my shoulders on the mat for two seconds.” She centered her gaze on the lovebirds. ”Bobbie, E? I’ll have something a little more specialized for the two of you. You’ll see.”

Freezer let that mystery hang for now, as she turned her back to the girls and stepped toward the center of the ring. ”If you’re all successful, I’ll speak to LAW management and see that you’re all brought in. I won’t lie and say you’ll be given top spots straight out of the gate, but you will be in front of a crowd. You will be on camera. I will make that happen.” As carefree and freewheeling as she could be, the girls knew she wouldn’t lie to them, certainly not about this. Freezer had enough clout and good will with management to twist a few arms, and it wasn’t as if LAW didn’t accept less impressive women all the time. This was doable.

”That’s the challenge.” She spun about on her heel to face them again. ”So, now, I just need to know - are you all in?”

Freezer knew the answer to that question, but she had to ask. She’d been waiting to hear the answer for weeks.

[HotWheels]

E would never outwardly admit to rooting for Bobbie to be right about anything. That did not mean she didn't secretly wish for the southerner to accomplish that crazy mind of hers could concoct, no. But she would never once inflate that head of hers any further and send it higher into the clouds. She also didn't know if she was ready for Bobbie's guess about receiving their first chance in a real ring to be accurate, either. Zelda could have probably wrestled a bear already, yes. Bobbie held her own. Charlie had... spirit. E had not yet decided how she regarded her own skills in the ring.

And yet she could not stop a rare glimmer of excitement from reaching her face when Freezer did not outright claim that Bobbie was wrong. She hid it behind her hands as she rested them on her mouth and listened when Freezer gave them a reason to pause, even while Bobbie again began repeating "told ya so" quietly under her breath and Zelda let loose with something between a thrilled German expletive and a primal scream. To everyone's credit, however, they all mostly kept their quiet outside of the brief outburst.

Though E could tell it was exceedingly hard for the two loudmouths - and even Charlie - to stay quiet when Freezer declared they would have matches to prove themselves.

E was leaning in with wide eyes and baited breath until she only heard Zelda and Charlie's names. What? It would just be the two of them? She glanced over at Bobbie, who seemed to be searching for more clarity, too. Meanwhile, Zelda might have hopped in place with so much energy that those giant tits were going to fly out of her top, and Charlie looked like she was counting the seconds until she vomited. A tense few seconds passed until E and Bobbie received their instructions. Those instructions clarified nothing, but she couldn't help but have a thrill course through her as Bobbie whooped and tackled her with a hug (one that hurt). She peeled her off seconds later.

She had to peel her off again when Bobbie found out she had been exactly right - this was the key to their good word from Freezer to LAW. And while it had Bobbie squeezing her again with more incoherent southernness pouring from her lips, E almost wanted to puke. Could she do this? Would she let down Bobbie?

It was not the time to ask. The others, who had been surprisingly composed, went straight back to full volume once Freezer gave them leave to do so.

"You bet your pretty little-" "Ten of you could not fucking drag me out of here without trying!" "Yeah! ...Yeah? YEAH!"

Their gusto left E with the courage to nod her head vehemently that she was ready, too. She wasn't - not fully - but she didn't have to be yet. Zelda was already climbing onto the apron, making her titanic presence known. "And I will go first. Show them how to do it."

[BlackAkuma]

The responses were myriad, but Freezer cherished each and every one. Zelda looked like she was ready to take on armies, her nearly slipping out of that top in her excitement. Charlie was her usual timid self, but the exuberance was clear behind those masked eyes. Bobbie was, of course, expressing her excitement in a way that jostled E around like a dog with her favorite chew toy and likely made the poor Russian’s ears tingle. E gave her the most energetic nod she’d ever seen.

Pure enthusiasm, she loved to see it. While she kept her face placid and still, Freezer was every bit as eageras any of them.

She cracked her knuckles and opened her mouth to speak again when Zelda promptly hopped up on the apron and started to make her way inside, taking charge. Not the least bit surprising. While she and Bobbie were tied for being the aggressors in the group, the German was the quicker one when it came to physical confrontation. She was the closest to Freezer’s size, maybe even a touch heavier, and she carried herself as if she was totally aware of that fact.

Bold. Brazen. A little too much, perhaps.

Freezer said nothing at first, instead folding her arms and looking Zelda’s way with a quirked eyebrow. While she admired the woman’s gusto, she already had a plan for how this would go, and wanted to keep that order. After a light sigh, she reached up and gave the German a flick on the forehead. ”You will go second, Goti.” A little crack of the whip. She hated denying her girls, but a good teacher had to exercise authority, sometimes. Besides, waiting would tick her off a little and make her an even better fight when the time came.

”For now, you’re on referee duty. Bobbie, E,” She pointed two fingers their way. ”One of you records, the other keeps the time. Use my phone.” She waved over to the turnbuckle, where it waited underneath the bottom pad, still playing her music, already unlocked.

The process of elimination made her following words clear, but she felt the need to say them, anyway. Make it official. ”Charlie, you’re up.” She made her way to the center of the ring, walking backwards with arms on, beckoning the girl on.

[HotWheels]

Oh, God. Oh crap.

Charlie wanted this and was terrified of this.

The idea had already popped into her head. The rest would do great and have their chance, and she would be the one person who came up short and took too long. She knew she could fight about three hundred and eighty percent better than she could before, which still wasn't saying much in the scheme of LAW. She had progressed from having the punching power of the average four-year-old to being able to knock her friends over if she had momentum, and she had put on almost twenty pounds. All positives, all positives.

But that didn't mean she could keep Freezer down for two seconds. That sounded impossible. That didn't mean she would shy away, but she was rocking back and forth on her feet and manically rubbing at her chin with both hands.

At least Goti was going first.

"Shit!"

Goti wasn't going first.

The biggest of them all but spun in a circle in the ring, frustrated and drained of her immediate adrenaline but complying. Well, aside from looking like she needed something to punch since she had been so amped up. She kicked the turnbuckle and wildly gesticulated at Charlie. "You fucking hurry and get in here."

"Char-lie! Char-lie! Char- no, let me do that." Bobbie's cheers devolved into her and E turning to a quiet, whispered argument about who needed to do the recording and who needed to do the timekeeping, so that support was gone. But Charlie, despite looking like a deer in the headlights, knew she couldn't stand there looking - and feeling - fearful and stupid. She smacked herself on the cheeks and dove under the ropes to enter the ring.

She knew she had so little time that she couldn't be hesitant. While she nearly took off toward her idol, she realized she didn't know what the cue was and stopped herself. "Wh- who's starting the timer?"

"I am the ref. I am." Charlie whirled in time to see Zelda standing by the ropes, looking down at where it had been decided that E was keeping the time, and the appointed ref immediately gestured. "Go."

In a panic, Charlie whirled and darted toward Freezer, not even sure what she was going to try and do yet. Maybe... maybe angle herself to the right and go for a clothesline?

[BlackAkuma]

Freezer did her best not to smile - no more than she did by default - as Zelda fumed, fully expecting that reaction. The German was a font of boundless, reckless energy, and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t excited to take her on, herself, but this would work out better in the long run for all involved. The less time Charlie was given to stew with her jitters, the better. The more time Zelda was given to ruminate and heat up, the better.

Besides, it was funny.

She indulged in the smallest chuckles as the woman had a little temper tantrum, a noise that her raging thankfully drowned out. With the established pecking order, she turned her attention to her opponent, who was nervously flitting outside the ring. Super Charlie, come on down.

Arms folded, she gave her tiniest pupil a moment to get herself together, knowing she would need it. Of all four, Freezer would say she was the most improved from where she started. That wasn’t saying too much in the end, considering she’d started from essentially nothing, but even so, her progression was impressive for such a relatively short time. She was fast, energetic, and hard to keep up with when she got going, a little spitfire that could run circles around anyone…

…but the trick was getting her to realize all that. Confidence. One of several things she intended to work on in the next four or so minutes.

Sure enough, Charlie mustered her courage, powered through, and slid into the ring to get things started. Freezer back up to the center of the ring and dropped down into a traditional wrestling stance, arms up and ten toes planted. Her eyes locked onto her pupils, muscles tensed, looking for all the world like a predator about to pounce, giving her a taste of the pressure she could expect in any real wrestling match.

Sure enough, Zelda wouldn’t let them wait long. 3, 2, 1. Go.

Charlie took the initiative, so points for her - speed was her best asset, so she needed to spend as little time as possible standing still. She’d also advised the girl not to try and lockup with some so over her weight class, and she was glad that she remembered not to, though it seemed like she only decided what her actual move was halfway into the charge: a clothesline. Good form, but a head-on attack, straight out? She needed to be a little less predictable.

There were a dozen things that Freezer could’ve done to make her pay, but she went for one of the least impactful, but still effective. Ducking low, she deftly dipped under Charlie’s blow, grabbed her wrist, spun about, and trapped her with a standard arm wringer, standing at her side and applying pressure. Not fun, but not too debilitating.

Show me the counter, Charlie.

[HotWheels]

She should have been first.

Charlie already looked to be a poor opener. Zelda didn't doubt the girl, but she let that active head of hers get overwhelmed too easily. The German was already rolling her eyes by the time Charlie took off. Yes, rushing straight at the woman who had multiple years of superior experience would work fine, but it was not for Zelda to critique or coach. She wanted all of them to succeed, but she also wasn't the ra-ra type. She also did a better job of throwing insults than providing pointers. None of them were great teachers, as Bobbie's aimless chanting on the outside would testify, which was why it was so fortunate they had a good teacher. And one that liked to kiss them.

But Zelda's frustration only built watching Charlie try the most obvious maneuver and, obviously, whiffing. And worse than whiffing - getting caught. Zelda grumbled as she got into position to halfheartedly do her ref work. Freezer was behind her, and Charlie looked like a deer in the headlights, waiting for worse to happen to her. She probably couldn't think with the antics going on from the sidelines. Bobbie had stopped chanting nothings long enough to flirt with E, but she had resumed full force.

"No, not that! I'm the clothesline queen! You stick to what yoummmm!" E silenced her with a hand for the second time in as many minutes, and Zelda was thankful for the peace herself, much less whatever Charlie must have thought with her easily addled mind. But Zelda caught the smallest club member muttering something under her breath to herself - she couldn't read lips, though it seemed something about momentum - and watched as Charlie reached back with her free hand, wrapped the forearm around Freezer's neck, and threw all her weight down, attempting a jawbreaker.