Valley Doll III vs Kyo Akamatsu — Iron Person Match

[Monsy]

IRON PERSON MATCH

All standard rules apply
Falls gained by Pinfall or Submission
Victory via having the MOST falls within thirty minutes!

BEGIN!

[BlackAkuma]

”Remember the strategy: Blitzkrieg.”

”Blitzkrieg. Right.”

”I want you to come hard, straight out of the gate. He’s expecting a slow start, conserving energy. You take him down fast and score a point. That puts the onus on him to even things up. Make him come to you, waste his time and energy.”

”Time and energy. Right.”

”You’re not listening to a word I’m saying, are you?”

Valerie snapped out of the whirlwind her brain had been caught in and returned to reality at those words, as if she’d just realized where she was. We Are Law 7, her very first PPV. While she’d had some high-profile matches in her short time with the company, this was an entirely different level. The crowd would be bigger than ever before, more eyes would be on her, as she had what would surely be a cornerstone match for her entire career. It didn’t get more important than this. This was the foundation of her career.

That was why she was glad to have her mother backstage. Well, one of them, anyway. Haley was out in the stands with Garfield, watching from the skybox, but the former Valley Doll felt the best place for her was in the gorilla position, advising her incredibly nervous daughter.

”Yeah, yeah, I hear you.” Valerie shook her head and winced. ”I’m just, you know, this is a big deal, a really big deal, and it’s a lot, and I’m just-”

Her mother reached up and cupped her cheeks, bringing hectic rant to an end. It was weird, but her touch aloen was comforting, as if she was sucking out all the anxiety on contact. ”Hey. Mini-me. Relax.” She said her favorite little joke and patted her on the cheek. To the casual observer, it would be hard to guess that they were related, much less mother and daughter. Valerie was taller, far more muscular than her mother had ever been, more akin to the tank that her grandmother was in her heyday. But to anyone who looked close, they could see the similarities: the eyes, the nose, the curve of their lips, and their shared propensity for pink. She was her mother’s daughter to the core.

”You’re gonna do great out there, kiddo. I know you feel this way right now, but once that bell rings, you’ll turn it on like you always do and work your magic. Just stay focused, remember the plan, and we’ll bring this all home. Got it?”

Valerie closed her eyes and let out a long exhale, emptying her lungs before she spoke again. ”Yeah. Yeah, I got it.”

Her mother stepped away and looked her over for a moment, before she lit up as if she’d just remembered something. ”Oh, and remember to ask Kyo out after this match is through, win or lose, perfect time for it.”

” the What? Mom!” Valerie looked from side to side, making sure no one was within hearing distance. ”For the last time, I told you, it’s not like that. Kyo’s just…he’s just a friend.”

”Uh-huh.” Her mother looked back at her with her standard ‘I don’t believe a word you just said’ gaze. ”Whatever you say, dear. Just remember, I did date boys before I met Haley, a lot of them. I can give tips.”

”Not having this conversation. Not doing it.” Valerie rubbed her temples, just before one of the stagehands came by to give her the signal. Go-time. ”Way to not mess up my head before the match, Mom.” She rolled her eyes and started to make her way off, waving as she went.

”I love you, too, dear. Have fun beating up your not-boyfriend.”

”Stooooooooooooooooop!”

Valerie’s cries were drowned out as she made her way through the curtain and her

piped up. As much as she wanted to just rush down the ring, she had to take a second to look out over the expansive crowd. While she hadn't exactly played to an empty house in her prior matches, the sheer scale was taking her off guard. The air was oppressive and overwhelming, their cheers rattled the rafters, and she was left slackjawed until she snapped back and set her eyes forward. ”You got this.” She marched down the ramp, one foot after the other. ”Yougotthisyougothisyougothisyougothisyougothis.”

She repeated her mantra all the way to ring, where she promptly slid in under the ropes and made her way over to her corner without so much as a wave to the referee. There, she started stretching before her music had even begun to die down, not wanting to waste a single second on fluff. She had to be at her best, today. Absolutely perfect.

[Underdoggo]

Meanwhile, at the other end backstage...

"Valley Doll is bigger than you," Makie told her brother. "And tougher than her. And stronger than you. And quite possibly faster than you. I mean, not by much, but let's be honest, you aren't exactly what the kids call speedy."

As tied up his wrestling boots, Kyo shot his sister an irritated look. "Is this supposed to be your way of motivating me, Makie? Because if so, you're not--"

"I'm not finished!" the younger Akamatsu sibling cut in, prodding a finger right between Kyo's eyes. "So, to defeat Valley Doll. you have to out-skill her! You have to be smarter than her! You gotta--" Makie paused at that moment, a frown setting across her face. "Wait...fuck. She's probably smarter than you as well."

A brief moment of awkward silence passed between them. It finally passed as Makie, unable to contain her herself, collapsed back against the bench and burst into laughter. Kyo, for all of his usual stoicism, couldn't help but allow himself a smile at his younger sister's silliness.

"I'm so glad you took the time to mock me before my big fight," Kyo said, finishing up on his boots. "Really, it means a lot." He stood up. "How do I look?"

Makie sighed and sat up. Unlike Kyo, she was dressed in everyday clothes; for a change, she would be sitting at ringside cheering her brother on rather than fighting alongside him. "Like the boring shonen protagonist that you are," she replied. "Got a plan for taking Valley out yet?"

Kyo nodded. "In out last match, I found it hard to contend with Valley's sheer power," he said. "Her sheer stamina alone will make her an extremely hard opponent. I need to outlast her, so I'm planning to start off with a succession of attacks to her midsection-- kicks, knee shots, scissors, an abdominal stretch, whatever works. From there, I will then try to hamper her mobility by targeting her legs with various submission holds, and once I'm done there I will--"

The way Kyo slipped so effortlessly into strategizing made Makie burst into laughter. "No, idiot," she chuckled. "I meant taking her out after the match! What do you have in mind, a nice dinner? Maybe the two of you go bowling? She seems like a bowling kind a gal, though maybe a movie wouldn't be so bad--"

Kyo's face turned a deep shade of red. "N-NANI?" he sputtered, his usual icy calm shattering for the briefest second. In that briefest second, he quickly composed himself once again, but his face remained almost as red as his trunks. "M-Makie, what are you talking about? Valley-san and I are just friends, nothing more!"

Makie gave her brother a disappointed frown. "Oh come oooooon!" she pouted. "I saw the way you look at her. And the way she looks at you. And the way you two were practically resisting the urge to make out the last time you sparred." She grinned at her brother mischievously. "You're crazy about that girl, and she's crazy about you. So the two of you should just go on a date and get it over with!"

The elder Akamatsu sibling was becoming more and more visibly flustered as Makie egged him on. "Valley is my opponent," he said stiffly. "Nothing more. Besides, Makie, I've dated former opponents before, and we all know how that ended. So please, no more of this."

Makie sighed in exasperation, as she always did whenever the conversation ran down this route. Ever since Shin...well, it was just painful to watch Kyo deny any attraction he felt, to anyone, and just bottle his feelings up like this.

"Sorry," she said, "I'll drop it." She stood up. "In all seriousness, though, Kyo, I think you've got this. If anyone can take on an opponent like Valley Doll, it's you. You are going to win your second PPV event in a row tonight." Her smile wavered a little. "I just wish mom and dad were here to see you win it. Especially dad."

At the mention of their dead parents, Kyo's expression became sombre, and he nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "He'd probably be there in the stands, eager to see the score between him and Valley Doll number 2 get evened again."

Makie chuckled. "If I remember dad, he'd no doubt be in the front row, shouting encouragement to you louder than anyone else, and making an ass of himself. Instead it'll just be me, hollering my own head off and making an ass of myself instead." She slapped Kyo on the shoulder, just as the stagehands started coming into the locker room. "Go get her, bro."

******

A few minutes later, Kyo was striding down the ramp of the arena as his theme song blared in the background. He was greeted by the cheers of his fans; in his short time here in LAW, Kyo was growing a considerable fanbase thanks to his stoic, no-nonsense attitude and his fair, honourable attitude towards fights. But Kyo's attention was not on the crowd, but on the ring...and on the woman already standing in the middle of it, waiting for him.

Just like last time, she was wearing her white and pink singlet, and outfit that showed off her powerful body. Just like last time, she seemed aloof and confident, ready to take on the world. And just like last time, she seemed more than ready to throw Kyo around the ring and absolutely demolish him to get the win.

All the same, Kyo remained focused as he slid under the ropes. He did his best to hide his emotions as he stood opposite Valley, his eyes meeting hers.

"Valley-san," he said, with a courteous bow. "It seems we're having that rematch after all.

[BlackAkuma]

There he was. There he was.

Valerie did her best to keep everything under control as Kyo made his way to the ring, but she couldn't help but get giddy as her opponent entered and came down to the ring. It was a similar way to what she’d felt the last time, only magnified by ten - bigger, better, brighter. This was the chance for her to show the world what she could do, to show him what she could do, the sort of test that she was built for with a man she truly respected. While she’d been blessed with some great matches since she came to LAW, she couldn't help but feel that this would be her crowning achievement. A turning point. The start of something great.

She couldn't keep from cracking a smile as he entered the ring and addressed her from the other side. ”Looks like it!” Valeria called back, stepped forward, and gave her customary bow. [color=#ff00f]”Ganbare, Kyo-san!”[/color]

With that, she made her way back into the corner, gripped the ropes, and leaned forward, staring hard at Kyo as she waited for the bell to ring. She already had a strategy in mind for playing this opening bit. A bold one, but then, this was the perfect time to go all or nothing.

Almost. Almost…

The bell rang, and Valerie charged out of the corner at full speed, crossing the ring with an explosive burst. She ducked down as she neared Kyo, threw herself forward, and tried to hit him with a devastating Spear, looking to nail him with her finisher straight out of the gate.

[Underdoggo]

This was it: Kyo's first PPV event in LAW. Previously, his most high-profile match had been the Do or Die supercard event, where he had faced and bested Alice Gaster. But this? This was vastly different. We Are Law was a high-profile, annual event, and only some of the best wrestlers in the LAW roster had been selected. He was immensely honoured that the management had felt he was worthy to be featured in this PPV event. It was equally telling that they thought that Valley Doll deserved a shot as well.

Valley had, by far, been one of his toughest opponents to date. Wisteria Khan and Janella Johnson had both severely tested him, and even beaten him...but against Valley, it had felt like none of his usual tactics or strategies had worked. As much as Makie had been joking earlier, she might have been right: there was a very real possibility that Valley was not simply stronger and more powerful than him, but more skilled as well.

And here she was now, in all of her glory, ready to take him on again.

To her credit, Valley was, as always, polite and friendly as she gave him a courteous bow. He smiled, genuinely, at her compliment. "Thank you, Valley-san," he said, returning her bow. "Please give me your best tonight. The crowd is expecting a good match, so let's not disappoint them."

And with that, they backed into their corners. All the while, Kyo's eyes never left Valerie's. She was hungry, eager for this match, just as much as he was. He wanted...no, needed to win tonight. Maybe it was to prove himself to the audience...or maybe it was to prove it to Valerie. Either way...

The bell rang, and Kyo leapt out of the corner, ready to circle Valerie...who was already charging right at him. Instinctively, he met her charge, dropping low, anticipating a lariat...

Except he was wrong. Valerie dropped low as well, lower than him in fact. He only realized his fatal mistake just as Valerie's shoulder slammed home against his chest.

"UUUGHG!" he gagged, spittle flying, the blow knocking him off his feet and sending him crashing onto his back. The crowd went wild at that moment, as Valerie initiated the match with a truly devastating impact.

[BlackAkuma]

No hesitation, no pause, no holding back. Valerie came out of the corner like a runaway freight train, moving in on Kyo with all the power and speed she could muster. She wasn’t 100% sure this would work - it wasn’t like her strategy was anything so unpredictable, especially given the explosive style with which she often approached things, and the Spear was a fairly common wrestling move. But the high risk would have a higher reward. If she connected, if she hit clean.

Boom.

Valerie could feel the impact. He’d gone low as she approached, probably thinking she wanted a lariat, so the Spear sank into an unprotected midsection. It almost seemed her shoulder could go through him like a cannonball had hit him. Bones, muscles, and organs, all gave way as her shoulder went deep, and the impact brought them to the ground with a thunderous crash.

The impact was so significant that Valerie rolled away from him after the hit, tumbling about until her back smacked against the ropes. When she looked over Kyo’s way, she could see him writhing in the throes of agony, rocked by the hit. Enough for a pinfall? It seemed like wishful thinking, but maybe…

It was worth a shot. She scrambled over, laid across his chest, pulled up his leg, and leaned, pressing his shoulders to the mat. The referee was just as taken aback as everyone else, but she moved in quick and started the count, slapping the mat beside Kyo’s head.

”1…!”

[Underdoggo]

The idle thought crossed Kyo's mind, even as he crumpled onto his back, that Valerie must have either played or practiced American football back in high school: the girl's tackle hit like a literal freight train, and his midsection was now throbbing with pain from where the battering ram that was Valerie's shoulder had slammed into it. Even in their first match, Valerie had not demonstrated this kind of raw brutality in her moves.

The message was abundantly clear: Valerie was here to win tonight, and she was going to do so even if it meant utterly pulverizing Kyo in the process.

"KYO! Get up!" Makie was screaming from the sidelines as Kyo lay, winded on his back. As the audience watched in a mixture of shock and rapt excitement, Valley immediately went for the pinfall, hooking one of Kyo's legs.

"TWO!"

Kyo felt the air burning in his lungs, even as Valley pressed down against him, Groaning, he tried to twist a shoulder, even as he felt the core of his abdomen flaring with pain even as he tried to move. "D...dammit..." Clenching his teeth, he put everything into a roll, trying to get a shoulder up, even as she sheer, slab-like weight of Valley pushed down against him.

With a groan of pain, he managed to twist and get a shoulder up...

"THREE!"

A fraction of a second too late. Kyo let out a ragged gasp of pain and frustration, his eyes opening in disbelief. A few seconds...only a few seconds...and Valerie had already scored the first fall.

This was promising to be a much, much harder match than he had anticipated.

Score: Kyo 0, Valley 1

[BlackAkuma]

It worked?

Holy cow, it worked.

Valerie could scarcely believe that her little gambit had not only caught Kyo, but done so well enough to earn her a pinfall before the first half of the first minute of the match was done with. She was almost as surprised as anyone when the referee’s hand came down, landing just in time to beat Kyo’s kickout.

”Yes!” She rocked forward on her knees and slapped the mat with both palms. ”Yes, yes, yes!” She exhaled as she rose with her hands held high, basking in the moment. As much as she hated to showboat, it came too naturally after something like that. Her blood was rushing her, her neurons were firing, she was on all cylinders.

Momentum. She needed to keep this momentum. After taking a moment to breathe and assess the situation, she saw Kyo writhing about on the floor, knowing full well he wouldn’t be down for long. That had been a great start, the best start possible, but now she had to make something out of it and keep riding that wave to victory. He would be up soon, too soon.

Reaching down, she grabbed him by the head and pulled him up, forcing him to stand whether he wanted to or not. As soon as he was up on two feet, she grabbed him by the arm, pulled him through, and sent him running towards the ropes with an Irish Whip, letting him bounce and return her way.

The momentt he was close, Valerie leaped towards him with her knee raised, trying to hit him with a Kitchen Sink right in the breadbasket to continue targeting his midsection.

[Underdoggo]

The crowd was speechless. Makie, in the stands, was just as speechless. The silence was utterly deafening to Kyo, even as the count reached three and Valley moved off of him. His body, still numb from the train-like impact of Valley into him, still refused to move, as much out of shock as from the pain of the impact.

What...the hell had just happened?

He had been rigorously analyzing Valley's fighting style in the build up to this match. He had been studiously going over the mistakes from his last match against her, as well as from his more recent spar with her. He had come prepared to counter her, to out-fight her, to out-wit her...and all of that effort, all of that preparation had just gone completely out the window the moment Valley had used her entire body as a weapon against him. He felt like a fly that had been swatted against the wall, still stuck to the mat he had been slammed against.

For the first time in this match, he acknowledged the icy dread in his veins. He had nothing on Valley's sheer power.

And then Valley was grabbing his head, practically peeling him off the mat. He gasped as he was pulled shakily to his feet...and then he was running, whipped across the ropes, bouncing back before he could even get his bearings right...

...and then Valley's knee exploded in his midsection. Air and spittle erupted from his lungs as the blow practically lifted him off his feet...and then gravity kicked in and he collapsed on his side, practically dry heaving after that brutal impact.

[BlackAkuma]

A small part of Valerie felt a little bad, just exploding on Kyo like that. He hadn't been expecting it, obviously, and she was taking advantage of that to stack the odds in her favor. It could almost be construed as unsportsmanlike behavior, taking advantage of his perceived notions to get the jump on him.

But she did her best to muffle that voice in the back of her head, because, as bad as it might have sounded, it was all fair. The bell had rung, and if Kyo had done the same to her, she wouldn’t have had any right to complain. Whatever she felt about him, whatever they were together, that couldn't apply when they were in between the ropes. She was going to do this wrestling thing right, or she wasn’t going to do it all.

No mercy. Nothing held back. Nothing personal.

If anyone had any doubts on her ability to execute, she would happily shut them up now, as she continued to build on her early lead. Being one up was good, but there was always a chance he could come back with a lucky pin and tie this up, then take it from there. She needed to erase that possibility, and that meant hunting for another one. That meant pouring on the pressure, even as he writhed about on the canvas.

Still wanting to target the midsection, Valerie was quick to pounce on his back as he wallowed about on the mat, laying on top of him like a mattress. She snacked her thick arms under his prone body, locked her fingers beneath his stomach, and began to squeeze tight, applying serious pressure with a grounded version of the reverse bearhug. Not only continuing to hammer his core, but making his efforts to breathe so much harder, practically suffocating him.