Coming Clean (for CaptainL)

[Pegasus]

“Bri has a point. We should at least clean the floors so nobody gets too hurt. That way our feet can stay firm on the tiles,” Jonathan interjected.

Both men quickly grabbed some extra white towels and cleaned off the floors making sure they were heavily dry before the start of this challenge. Jonathan and William tried slipping their feet on the wet spots, but the floor was sturdy enough so they couldn’t trip. Both men threw their towels in the hamper before Will turned to the two wives.

“It’s not too late to just jump in, girls. We wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of your students,” William taunted to Astrid.

“Really? You do realize she has thrown you around the ring more times than I can count. I think she’ll be just fine,” Jonathan retorted.

“And you’re on whose side again?” William asked as he turned to his partner.

“Facts are facts. I choose not to underestimate the competition unless I know I can beat them,” Jonathan replied.

[CaptainL]

"Well, I...suppose that helps a little bit," Brianna muttered to herself. She crossed her arms and huffed under her breath as Jonathan and William cleaned off the floors, making sure there wasn't any water to slip on - something that was probably well overdue, considering how much everyone had taken turns throwing each other into the pool and making a splash. Astrid came up behind her, giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it," she explained. "I've had to deal with worse conditions. And if anyone slips, I'll catch them."

"Well, I guess..." But the Norsewoman was already ready for action! As soon as she heard William's taunts, a smirk spread over her face, and she lowered herself into a stance, taking a step closer and raising her hands. She had heard a challenge, and she wasn't anyone to back down from such things! "Oh, no...believe me, we're going to finish what we started!" she said. "I just hope you've been taking cooking lessons...you know about Meiyun's appetite."

Brianna shrugged - she had known Astrid for some time, and she should know that once she set her mind to something it was hard to talk her down. Instead, she was going to play along. "Ding ding ding!" she chimed in, imitating the bell. Astrid took a step forward, reaching out to grab William by the shoulder; if she could get a hold on him, she would lean in, pushing against him with all her might to try and steer him toward the pool. Brianna, meanwhile, hung back, but stayed in a stance, strafing back and forth to watch the opposing team for any sudden movements. She knew Jonathan was still in this, and she needed to be prepared for anything!

[Pegasus]

Brianna made the call to start the match as William came closer to Astrid hunkering down knowing his wife wouldn’t be easy to push over. She tried grabbing him to throw him in, but the floors provided great traction for William to plant his feet on. Thank God they listened and wiped the floors, because it didn’t have to be one-sided. William tried picking Astrid up over the shoulders and knowing a good move he didn’t use too much in his career, he went to a safer spot of the pool room and begun doing an Airplane Spin hoping to dizzy Astrid enough!

Jonathan tried psyching his wife out going around different corners and hoping to trap her, but the pool was wide enough for Brianna to book it if Jonathan came from one direction. He couldn’t walk across the pool towards her, because that was impossible and technically count him out of this impromptu match. It seems a stalemate was afoot….only until he laid eyes on Jewel. He whistled to his dog to bring her over and he ruffled her fur trying to get her hyper. When Jewel loved the attention enough, she barked happily getting riled up. He then looked at Brianna and pointed at her.

“Time for ZOOMIES! Go get Mommy, Jewel!” Jonathan commanded as the adorable puppy went after Brianna.

[CaptainL]

Both William and Astrid were strong and capable powerhouses, and in this impromptu contest, both were willing to use it to their advantage. The Norsewoman bent at the knees, leaning in closer against her husband to try and steer him backward with the force of her push - but he pushed her back just as easily, bringing them back to square one. Even as Astrid tried getting her arms around him to stabilize her grasp, gritting her teeth and straining the muscles in her arms and back, he planted himself firmly in place, no mater how much her biceps bulged. "Rrgh...come on-!!" she groaned.

It was William who managed to take control, sweeping Astrid up onto his shoulders; at first, she gasped as she found herself held high above the floor - and as he began to spin around in circles, she let out a yelp! The world was going by around her in a blur, and she didn't know when it would stop. But she wouldn't go out without a fight - and she kicked with her legs, trying to get them out of William's hold. If that worked, Astrid would try to bridge her back and flip herself over, hopefully unbalancing the whole tower and sending both of them to the floor. She could only hope it wouldn't be too hard a landing.

While this was happening, the girls in the pool had ceased their pursuit to watch the action, shouting cheers and words of encouragement to their friends. Brianna was strafing around the pool, keeping her guard up - she knew she didn't have the same brute strength as the other three, so she had to be on her guard, occasionally hopping to one side or another to fake Jonathan out before she continued on her way. But Jonathan could be crafty too - and Brianna never could have seen what would come next, as he got Jewel riled up before sending her right at his wife!

At the sight of the dog hurtling her way, Brianna let out a gasp. She got down to her knees, at first to brace herself against a collision, but when Jewel ran right into her arms, she couldn't help but pull her into a hug, ruffling at her fur. "Jewel!! Hey, girl! Ooh, who's a good girl? Who's a good girl, you are-!" she cheered, getting altogether too lost in the moment. It was only a moment later that she realized that she was still in the midst of this match - and when the realization hit her, she shook herself back to her senses, looking up and settling a glare on Jonathan. "HEY!! That's cheating!" she snapped. But Jonathan had nonetheless managed to buy himself time!

[Pegasus]

William turned around fast hoping to get his wife dizzy enough in order to make her stumble and knock her into the pool. Astrid, however, wanted a fight if she was going down and unbalanced herself making both giants tumble to the tiled floor. William fell on his side to catch himself and checked as his wife landed on her feet, but had to sit down in order to get her head cleared. He was also dizzier than all get out as the cheering was jumbled in his brain and he couldn’t tell where he was as he held his head. Will heard Sheila cheering for him, Meiyun cheering for Astrid, and Molly remaining neutral liking both sides of the contest. William tried standing as he hobbled and stumbled on his way from his previous falling spot.

However, he would leave himself wide open for Astrid as he was in perfect position to take a plunge in the water. Jewel ran to Brianna and barked happily getting love from her human mother. Just as Jonathan had planned as he went around behind his wife trying to pick her up by the waist, but Jewel barked thinking both her parents were playing and once she was hyper, it was time to play! Jewel jumped on Jonathan wanting his attention as he was backed off Brianna and teetering on the edge of the pool trying to calm down his dog.

[CaptainL]

If William thought he could expect Astrid to just play around, he was sorely mistaken. Even if this was just a friendly challenge in the name of fun, Astrid wasn't the type to back down from anything - and wherever she found the chance to show off her strength, she was going to apply herself to the fullest! William had her twirled around in the airplane spin, leaving Astrid gasping as the world spun by around her in a blur. But she was still determined to win - and she would put everything she had into turning things around, kicking her legs out to bring herself and William to the ground!

Landing on the floor with a thud, Astrid rolled aside from her husband. She got to her knees, reaching up to rub at her temples as she panted for breath and shook herself out. She was dizzied herself; she teetered back and forth, needing to reach out and plant a hand against the floor to keep herself steady. Furthermore, the pool floor wasn't the most forgiving of a surface, and she was beginning to regret slamming the two of them down on it - especially given that she herself had cautioned about just that. Still, Astrid shook that thought aside. As far as she was concerned, she still had a match to win, no matter where or who was watching!

Pushing herself back up to her feet, Astrid turned around, seeing where William was still struggling to rise. A smirk crossed her face - she wobbled back and forth with each step she took, but she still knew an opportunity when she saw one! "Looks like that took something out of both of us..." she began, bending down to grab William's shoulders and guide him back to his feet. "Regretting your decisions yet?" If she could get him up, Astrid would try to push on William's shoulders to steer him toward the water - but at the same time, she was still dizzy, and she teetered uneasily when she put her foot down. If William so wanted, he could seize the advantage!

Across the pool, it looked like Jonathan had managed to claim control of his side of the match. He'd used his wife's love of animals against her, distracting her with Jewel long enough to get behind her and lift her off her feet! Brianna let out a gasp, staring down at the water beneath her. She tried to wave her arms and legs, but Jonathan was holding firm. She couldn't believe it was going to end this way, letting her guard down for such an obvious trick!

But then...Jewel barked again, trying to get Jonathan's attention! He stopped in his tracks, and for a moment, Brianna paused, looking down. He was hesitating! It seemed that Jonathan's own tricks were about to backfire on him! At first, Brianna regarded the situation with confusion...but soon, she grinned when she realized this could play to her favor. When Jonathan let go of her to attend to Jewel, she saw her chance - he was just barely at the edge of the pool, and she was lined up for a strike. It was almost too perfect!

As soon as Jewel was out of the way, and when Jonathan had his back turned, Brianna suddenly cried out with a defiant battle cry! "TOO SLOW!!" With that, she whipped herself around on one heel and kicked her other leg out, attempting to drive a roundhouse kick into Jonathan's back when he least expected it!

[Pegasus]

William was in perfect position to be pushed into the pool and Astrid would see to it that he was disposed of. Astrid tried pushing her husband back, but it was quite slow given she was as dizzy as him and suffered a brunt impact when they both hit the tiled floor. They both wobbled back but, William would grab Astrid’s shoulders trying to turn their positions around as they were like bulls trying to show how much might they had. William had to get the lead in order get Astrid on the edge so he tries picking her up in his arms. He would then get a running start going to throw Astrid in, but the momentum tripped him forward as well as he, along with his wife, look to be taking quite the dip!

Jewel barked wanting to be held as her tongue stuck out and she jumped on her father. Jonathan tried catching her, but Brianna caught him with a roundhouse kick as he wobbled. William and Astrid most likely would hit the water together taking them out of this fun spar, but William wouldn’t lose this easily. He wiped his eyes off the water as he saw Jonathan about to titter over. Will thought fast as she grabbed Sheila’s little body and sat her on his shoulders.

“Tower up on me, Sheila! We gotta make sure Astrid doesn’t get the satisfaction of a win. She does too much of it already!” William stated. “Plus, she cooks better meat than I do and I’ll make sure you get your money’s worth!”

Knowing Sheila would agree without hesitation, Will swam over fast to Jonathan. He would grip Jonathan by the legs and Sheila would get the back keeping Jonathan from falling over. Jonathan regained his footing as he nodded to his buddies and smirked back at his wife. There were no rules to this challenge besides throw one team into the pool so anything was legal.

“Don’t try to cry foul, honey. Jewel may be a double agent, but I got plenty more tricks up my sleeve,” Jonathan boasted.

[CaptainL]

Astrid thought that by taking control, she could seize on the dazed state William had found himself in and bring the first elimination of this match. But she was just as wobbly on her feet as her husband was, and that fact was about to come around to bite her. William buckled against the pressure, bending back toward the edge of the pool - but just as he did, he was able to shove back at the Norsewoman's shoulders in the split-second she stopped to steady herself, not only bringing himself out of the danger zone but also gaining ground on Astrid!

The blonde let out a gasp, taken aback by William's sudden counter. "I knew you were strong, but-!!" Gritting her teeth, she reminded herself she couldn't let this stand - not if it put herself in danger! She muscled her way in forward, slinging her arms around William's side and grabbing for his back and shoulders in an attempt to anchor herself in place. The two circled each other, each trying to push and grab at one another to take control. But William was able to hoist her off her feet, and she let out a gasp as she was pulled up into the air! She kicked her legs, doing her best to try and break free, but William held firm. As she was turned toward the water, all Astrid could do now was to bite her lip, bracing herself for impact...

But as it turned out, the same slick surface of the pool floor she was worried about earlier was about to turn the tides! Before William could throw her into the pool, he slipped - and the two of them plummeted through the air together! Their screams were swiftly cut off by a thunderous splash that rang up into the air, causing the girls to shield themselves from the water flying in all directions. Moments later, Astrid emerged from the water, panting for breath and shaking droplets from her hair. She and William had been eliminated at the same time - now, it was all up to Brianna and Jonathan to decide the outcome.

Or so she thought, at least. William looked up to see Jonathan just seconds from tipping over...and he called for Sheila to come to his aid! The Australian girl nodded her head, taking off through the water to close in on him before catapulting herself onto his shoulders just in time to push Jonathan back to safety! Even when Jonathan explained there were no rules in their little game, Brianna still looked on with her mouth agape. She had to do a double-take, just to convince herself that that had really happened! "I'm...uh...wh...WHAT!?" she sputtered, stammering through the words before she slapped her palm firmly against her forehead. "Okay, I think getting help from the people who are ELIMINATED should at least cross a line!!" she interjected. Nevertheless, with a grumble, she shook her head, sinking back into a stance to brace herself for what Jonathan would do next. Evidently, she had to be prepared for anything.

Astrid also saw William's manuever, and she was no less flabbergasted by it. She floated in the pool, staring back at William and Sheila blankly as the Young Lioness turned to wave her hand to her. However, it didn't take long for her to get an idea - and when the realization hit her, she stood up a little straighter in the water with a smirk. William had set a precedent now, and she wasn't afraid to remind him of that. "Well, if that's the case," she began, "I think two can play at that game!!" With that, she lunged toward William to tackle him from behind - and if she did, Sheila would be shaken from his shoulders soon after, sending her plummeting into the pool!

[Pegasus]

It was down to the last husband and wife duo as Jonathan and Brianna would decide who it was that would be cooking dinner for everyone. Jonathan had cooked for himself and his dogs many times, but Brianna knew how to make things flavor so he was shooting for the gold here. Brianna stood ready for him as Jewel stood by her side barking and howling as it echoed all around the room. He had to chuckle at his dog knowing Jewel wasn’t choosing sides and just wanted to play with her human parents. Jonathan saw the hamper with dirty towels in it and planned a break for it to open the lid and throw one towel over Brianna’s head in order to keep her busy. If that succeeded, Jonathan would attempt to lift Brianna up to Powerbomb her into the drink, but her legs had provided no avenue for Jonathan to see where his feet were. He was distracted for the meantime giving Brianna ample time to counter him as he tried carefully thinking through his next move.

As for William, Astrid successfully tackled him from behind underwater as Sheila fell off his shoulders into the pool taking out two birds with one stone. William resurfaced as he spit out water and wiped his eyes making sure his contacts were still in place so he could see. He saw Astrid resurface and saw a little loser’s bracket challenge right in front of him. If his wife wanted to square up for a more wetter experience, he would be happy to oblige. He even nodded over to Sheila to follow his lead as he started sending waves of splashes at Astrid’s face inviting Sheila and his wife to a splash fight!

[CaptainL]

It didn't matter to Brianna who ended up cooking dinner - though she did have to admit that after the plane ride over, having the chance to sit back and relax didn't sound so bad. But what was far more important was that she had been challenged to a contest, and if she had to fight, she would fight her hardest, no matter what! Jonathan had only strained her composure all the more when he decided to get Jewel involved, creatively bending whatever rules one might have expected in his favor. Even if they were just playing around, Brianna wasn't about to take that lying down - and now, she was ready to come back swinging!

In fact, Jonathan hadn't even let up with his tricks! Just then, he looked over at the towel hamper, and it only took a brief glimpse for Brianna to know exactly what he was up to! As her eyes narrowed into a glare, she took off after him. "DON'T YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT IT-!!" she called out - but it was too late. Her husband had already reached the dirty towels, and a moment later, he had sprung one right into her face!

"Ackh-!!" With the world around her going dark, Brianna began to stumble back. She teetered uneasily on the slick floors, which was an even more dangerous predicament to be in when her head was caught up in the towel! She reached her hands up to try and pull it off - but Jonathan had created an opening that he was already seizing upon. Suddenly, the Wildcat Champion found herself being hoisted up from the ground - and brought up onto his shoulders!

At first, Brianna let out a yelp. Even if she couldn't see what was happening, she had more than enough wrestling experience to know the setup for a powerbomb when she saw one - and if it hit, even with the water to break her fall, it was sure to be an impact she would feel. She clenched her teeth, bracing herself for the landing...but then, she realized that Jonathan wasn't pressing his advantage. He was teetering in place, still unused to balancing on the slick floors - and that created just a few seconds that Brianna could use to her advantage!

As she at last shook off the towel, a smug smirk crossed her face. She was a high-flyer at heart, and now it was the time to draw on those talents - she never thought she would think that about being in the pool, but she'd accept it nonetheless! Letting out a battle cry, she clamped her thighs tighter around her husband's head before she swung her hips to the side to try and bowl him over the edge with a hurricanrana!

Meanwhile, Astrid and William had engaged in their own duel, as the Norsewoman sent a blast of water right into her husband's face! As William resurfaced, Astrid stood facing him with a confident grin and her hands on her hips, while Meiyun and Molly cheered and clapped for her in the background. But William was just as eager to pay her back - and when he nodded to Sheila, the Australian flashed him back a grin; she hardly needed any more encouragement to join in. She bent down to slap the water just as soon as William did, the two of them shooting a wave up into Astrid's face!

Sputtering and gasping, Astrid fell back in the water. As she landed with a splash, Sheila erupted in laughter, turning back to face William. "We're awesome!! Yeah, gimme five!" she cheered, hopping up to slap a high-five with William. Little did Sheila know, Astrid was far from out. She had taken this time to swim around and get behind the two of them...and she had picked just that time, when her opponents' backs were turned, to surface.

"If you're going to escalate things...you should be prepared for your opponents to meet you on that level!" the Norwegian proclaimed, even now finding some time to get in some wrestling advice for the Young Lionesses. Her head and shoulders poked above the water with a threatening glare, one that made Sheila freeze in place. Then, Astrid jumped up the rest of the way - and when she did, she swung out with both hands to kick up an underhand splash at both William and Sheila, showering them with water!