[Standard Match] Karen Aoki-Justice vs HEAT Mihoko - Not all moths are afraid of the heat

[skip-stop]

Match type: standard
Victory conditions: pinfall, submission, knockout, disqualification

"I can feel your eyes on the back of my head, mom!" Karen grumbled, taking a sharp diagonal step forward and right.

The Japanese girl turned her torso to the left while simultaneously sending a right hook into the punching bag. With that, her warm-up was over. She turned and looked at Victoria. She was right, the Englishwoman was really boring her with her eyes. In a way, Karen was used to it, but usually Victoria had a reason to do so, this time Karen didn't see a reason why her manager looked at her that way.

"What's the matter?" She asked with a certain amount of urgency.

"Your first classic match," Victoria said, adjusting her glasses. "I can't help feeling that I shouldn't have let you take part in a PPV before your first classic match."

Karen raised her left eyebrow slightly. She didn't even think Victoria cared that much about it. Yes, of course, LWS2023 was not the best start of her career for Karen, but she did not see this as a real disaster. Quite the opposite. While remaining optimistic, she believed that any ascent to the top begins with a fall.

"Hey," she smiled. "You don't have to worry about it, besides, not everyone manages to start a career right away with a PPV." Karen went to her locker and closed it. "I just need to improve my score a little and that's exactly what I plan to do today."

"Then you'll need this." Victoria said, handing Karen the microphone.

"Again?" The Japanese girl was surprised. "I thought it was for special occasions only."

"Since this is your first classic match, this is more than a special occasion," a slight smile appeared on the manager's lips. "So don't argue with me."

"It's impossible to argue with you, mom!" Karen grinned, taking the microphone in her hand. "And now I have to go!"

Under Victoria's gaze, Karen left the locker room and headed down a long corridor. She, of course, understood the reasons why Victoria was worried about her, but Karen herself saw no reason to worry. The last years of her life were far from the most rosy, but after she found herself in LAW, she seemed to have learned to breathe deeply again.

The Japanese girl entered the waiting room and stopped in front of the curtains. Was she worried? Maybe a little. She's used to fighting, but she's still not used to fighting in the ring. However, Karen was not going to give vent to these emotions. Today she intended to fix her score and nothing will stop her.

Entrance Music

Attire

Her music started and the Hawk Moth came out from behind the curtains. She was met with perhaps not the most deafening, but still applause. Her participation in LWS allowed her to take a little place in the hearts of the audience. Although, of course, there was a lot of work ahead of her. And she was going to start by clapping to the beat of her music. Some of the audience joined her, which made her smile. Karen began to slowly descend the ramp, bringing the microphone to her mouth.

"Never get to a point where..."
"Where I'm ever gonna quit, no!"
"I'm always pushin' harder!"

Stopping, the Japanese girl playfully moved her shoulders, allowing the audience to fully enjoy this moment. Of course, she was not a professional singer, but music was an integral part of her life. She especially loved karaoke. And, given that she has never had stage fright, Victoria insisted that Karen use it from time to time in order to establish a connection with the audience.

"Nothin' here is gonna stop me,"
"Nothing's gonna bring me down, no!"
"You gotta step on some heads when you reach for the crown!"

Taking advantage of the short pause in her music, Karen ran forward and rolled under the bottom rope. She quickly jumped to her feet, barely in time for the most dynamic part of her music theme.

"This is where the legend begins!"
"Woo oooo!!"
"This is where the legend begins!"
"Woo oooo!!"
"This is where the legend legend!"

Clearly enjoying the fact that her singing made the audience much more ignited, Karen decided to turn in all three directions, as if addressing everyone who came to watch this match today.

"Are you ready?!"
"Are you ready?!"
"Are you ready?!"
"You ain't even ready for it!"

In a fit of emotion, she approached the nearest corner and jumped onto the middle ropes. Pointing with her free hand at the audience, she proceeded to the last part of her music theme.

"Are you ready?!"
"Are you ready?!"
"Are you ready?!"
"You ain't even ready for it!"

And although her music ended after that, Karen didn't stop there. After a short pause, she smiled from ear to ear. She wanted to once again make it clear to the audience who she is, why she is here and what they should expect from her.

"THIS IS WHERE THE LEGEND BEGINS!!!!!"

The arena was filled with applause much louder than when Karen came out from behind the curtains. They obviously liked the little show she put on for them. Before LAW, she was a street fighter and although she had a certain fan base on the streets of Tokyo, she had never heard so much applause. She certainly liked it.

Jumping off the ropes, the Hawk Moth greeted the referee and gave her the microphone, after which she headed to the far corner. Leaning back, Karen put her hands on the top ropes. Now she could only wait for her rival. And she was sure that the one who called herself HEAT would not keep her waiting.

[Dubski]

HEAT Mihoko was pacing backstage, her hands on her head, scowling angrily. Already in a bad mood, the adrenaline only amplified that for her. Thusfar, her stint in LAW hadn't gone the way she wanted. Not a single win to her name yet, just looking for her big break. Getting slammed and thrown around was par for the course, but her specific brand of explosive offense just wasn't putting anyone away. It was something that was digging at her far more than she wanted. This was too damn important for her to keep losing.

This attitude was at least better than the wallowing Mihoko was doing between times of training or pre-match or anything else where she could get her blood pumping and try to forget about her struggling career. She felt like she was ready to lose it in the locker room, shyly avoiding the other girls as much as she could, which was easy. She didn't stand out. She was a nobody. Just another wrestler without a win, and she felt meek enough around the actual stars and winners in the league without bringing attention to herself backstage.

But the match was coming soon, and HEAT was hyping herself up. She got excited. She got angry. She got determined. And she was facing somebody else who wasn't particularly notable either. A newcomer, and Mihoko had figured she was placed against her to give this girl a springboard. They obviously saw more in her than they saw in HEAT right now. The thought rumbled around in her mind as she continued to pace throughout the backstage, with people getting out of her way as she got close.

This was it. This was the moment that HEAT Mihoko had to take in order to prove that she was worth something in this league. She wasn't just the springboard for other talent. She was dynamic, angry, hot-blooded, and skilled. And even though nobody recognized it, she needed it to be undeniable starting today. And she didn't care what she had to do to this Karen Aoki-Justice to prove it.

She was surprised to hear her singing on her way to the ring. So carefree. So confident. So ready for this match. A luxury, Mihoko thought, that she didn't need to worry at all. Her first match. Her first fight. Her first time to prove it to people that she deserved to be here. She she was just singing, getting the crowd on her side like nothing. HEAT listened, watching on the screen with her fists white knuckled, clenched at her side as she grew more and more furious.

A staffer would cautiously, and gently, inform Mihoko she was ready to go next. She gave him a nasty look, stomping past him and to the stage. It was her time now. How was she supposed to follow up an entrance like that? From a complete newcomer, no less. She wouldn't. As Blow by Eva Under Fire started to play, HEAT Mihoko stepped out onto the stage, looking out at the crowd who seemed to give her a modest reaction. Standing above the ramp, she knew she deserved more of a reaction. Louder, bigger, more excited, more passionate. And here she was, getting a polite response.

Stomping her foot down on the ramp a few times, HEAT decided she would waste no more time as she rocketed down the ramp and towards the ring. She slide under the bottom rope and onto the mat, getting to the ring in record time. Mihoko gave a bitter look at Karen as she stood, letting it linger as she began walking over to the referee, who backed up from the suddenness and aggressiveness from it. Snatching the microphone from that referee's hand, she would turn and make her way to the center of the ring, getting ready to speak.

The crowd would slowly go to a hush as she gripped that microphone tight in her hand. HEAT Mihoko had a lot to say. An exhaustive amount of words she could say about the state of her career, the anger and frustration she felt, the promises she could make, the declaration that she would win this match against Karen. All of that, ready to spout off in a moment. And as that anticipation to speak began building up in her, she got more and more anxious, ready to positively explode with all of that energy. Holding it up to her mouth, she looked up at the titantron above the entrance, watching herself on it. And Karen Aoki-Justice in her corner.

And HEAT would use that to line Karen up. She pivoted and threw the microphone directly towards her opponent's head. And wasting absolutely no time before the match even started, Mihoko made a mad sprint at blistering speeds directly at the Hawk Moth. Using that flying mic as more of a distraction than anything, HEAT made lift-off, aiming to hit a Shotgun Drop Kick directly at Karen's chest, aiming to absolutely blast her with her powerful legs and the momentum behind them.

She had nothing to say to the audience. A win here was more important than any words HEAT Mihoko had to say. And she was ready to start this match off at the pace she was used to, and the one that Karen Aoki-Justice would need to catch up to.

Spoiler

[skip-stop]

It really didn't take long. Literally immediately after Karen was in the corner, the other music theme began and her rival appeared at the top of the ramp. Like the Hawk Moth, this girl was met with a very restrained reaction from the audience because, without a doubt, they were both very far from those fighters who were at a much higher level of popularity.

But if Karen was able to fix it at least a little thanks to her dynamic performance, then her opponent had a different tactic. HEAT just rushed to the ring. Moving as if she was late for a plane, the blue-haired girl was in the ring literally in the blink of an eye.

Karen smiled at first. Everyone could perceive it differently, but she liked such enthusiasm. By the same time, when HEAT was in the ring, the Hawk Moth had the opportunity to take a closer look at her opponent. HEAT was about three inches lower and several kilograms lighter than Karen. But her athletic form was no worse at all, there was no doubt about it. Besides, it didn't escape Karen's gaze that this girl was very attractive. Everything would be fine if it weren't for one thing...

The Japanese girl's left eyebrow rose involuntarily. The reason for this was that only a blind person would not notice that HEAT was filled with... anger? Karen wasn't the type to judge people just by looking at them once. However, she just couldn't help but notice the hatred with which the Japanese-American girl was looking at her.

"What the hell?" Sounded in Karen's mind.

She would understand if there was something personal between them. But this was their first meeting. And Karen was sure that she didn't have a chance to somehow hook the strings of this blue-haired girl's soul. Therefore, she absolutely did not understand the malice in those eyes. After the shit that the Hawk Moth had to go through because of Barbara, she hoped that this match would not be so disgusting, after all, not every match should be filled with hatred.

Well. Okay. Still trying to be open-minded, Karen intended to push off from her corner, get to the center of the ring and offer her opponent a handshake before the start of the match. Perhaps HEAT just got up from the wrong side of the bed today. However, before Karen could do it, the blue-haired girl took the microphone from the referee's hands.

Because of this, Karen decided to stay in her corner. Perhaps the Japanese-American girl wanted to explain her position. And the Hawk Moth did not mind hearing about the reasons for such unusual behavior, because in the end, she did not understand what exactly caused such a great dissatisfaction on the part of HEAT.

But instead of getting any answers, Karen got something else. Suddenly, HEAT turned around and threw a microphone in Karen's head. The Hawk Moth's eyes widened, and her heart began to beat faster as if at the snap of fingers. Acting solely on the level of instincts, she began to bend her right arm at the elbow. She was still holding the top rope and thanks to this she managed to shift her body to the right, thereby allowing the microphone to fly past her head.

But she couldn't avoid what was waiting for her after that. Considering that the thrown microphone was not enough, HEAT immediately ran to Karen, pushing off the mat with force in order to soar into the air. The blue-haired girl bent both legs at the knees, and then straightened them in the direction of Karen's chest.

"BOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Swept through the arena at that moment. The reason was obvious. No one likes cowardly assholes who prefer to attack stealthily. But although this caused a condemning reaction from the audience, it did not change the most important thing. Both of HEAT's feet slammed into Karen's chest. The Japanese girl's back crashed into the corner with such force that her legs literally flew into the air. Unable to cope with such a sharp rush of pain, the Hawk Moth fell on her ass, clasping her breasts with her hands.

"KHA! KHA!! KHA!!" She coughed heavily.

"The match hasn't started yet, it's a foul!" The referee shouted.

At some point, it might have seemed that the referee was thinking about disqualifying HEAT. However, if she finishes the match right now, it is unlikely that the management will appreciate this decision. In the end, Karen was not a fighter from the very top and therefore hardly anyone would stand up for her. And so instead of disqualifying HEAT, the referee did just one thing. The striped shirt waved her hand.

Ding-Ding-Ding.

[Dubski]

Those boots slammed directly into Karen Aoki-Justice's chest, absolutely drilling her by surprise with the swift move, and the punishing force behind them. HEAT Mihoko meanwhile landed on her back before getting up to one knee, looking out at the crowd with a glare before huffing through her nose. She didn't seem to mind the boos. If anything, they got her more amped up. The noise of the crowd adding to her already insane adrenaline flowing through her and making her that much more ready to keep going with the offense. So instead of berating the crowd, she just put two fingers behind her ear, taunting them to get louder with a satisfied smile on her face.

The referee would then scold her, threatening her already early on in the mat. Mihoko wasn't necessarily a cheater by any means, but she was certainly someone who bent the rules just a little bit if it meant to get an advantage. And if there ever was a match to do such a thing, it would be this one, where she needed the win desperately. The referee scolding her, however, was something that did annoy her more than the roar of the crowd. She would stand up and then start backing up, nearly snarling before shouting at the ref, "Foul this!" And then she gave the official the up yours, throwing a fist up over her other arm. The crowd got even louder. It might have been the loudest they've ever gotten for her so far--even if it was negative.

She had the name HEAT for a reason.

But upon hearing that bell, Mihoko would turn and sprint to the opposite corner, kicking off of the turnbuckle and then rocketing towards Karen at blistering speeds. Then, HEAT Mihoko would perform her next move with incredible swiftness. She leaped into the air and then attempted to blast the Hawk Moth in the face with double knees while she laid in the corner. The Hot-Blooded Fighter was looking to really take advantage of her opening, and wanted to see about putting on as much pain as she could to Karen all at once. An early advantage was what she needed here. Keep Karen on her heels and unable to keep up. And when HEAT was going at this pace, most people could barely match her.

[skip-stop]

It was definitely bad luck. Most of her life was spent on the streets of Tokyo, thanks to which she earned a reputation as a street fighter. And far from once she had to confront rivals who preferred to use very dirty tactics. Karen hoped that here, in LAW, she would finally be able to start fighting with those who have honor. It seems that it was very naive on her part.

She lost the previous match because she received several low blows, the pain after which was simply unbearable. And although the situation was a little different now, it was obvious that HEAT adheres to the same principle as Barbara. Victory is victory.

The Hawk Moth definitely did not encourage such an approach. She was well aware that everyone looks at it differently. But personally, she looked at it from only one point of view. If you use dirty tricks and loopholes in the rules, then you're just a weakling piece of shit who can't win honestly. And judging by the volume of disapproving shouts, the audience shared her point of view.

However, at that moment it was a small consolation for Karen. Due to her opponent's astonishingly powerful attack, Karen was unable to take a deep breath. It seemed to her that her lungs were literally chained. Due to the lack of oxygen, a fog appeared in front of her eyes. Yes, it definitely wasn't the best start, especially considering her humiliating defeat in the previous match.

Due to her weakened state, she couldn't do anything with her opponent's next attack. Yes, she heard the rapidly approaching footsteps of the Japanese-American girl, but it was already too late, even if she knew exactly what kind of attack it would be, she didn't have a chance to dodge it. The result was obvious.

"GHAAA!!!"

Both of HEAT's knees slammed into Karen's face. Her head snapped back and the back of her head crashed into the pad of the middle turnbuckle. The fog before her eyes was replaced by darkness. Her hands turned into rags and involuntarily dropped to the mat. Yes, of course, she was still conscious, but at that moment she felt nothing but pain and heard nothing but the ringing of bells in her head. This picture was completed by drops of blood flowing from the nose and lower lip of the Japanese girl, because there was no chance that after such an attack she would remain unharmed.

[Dubski]

The phenomenal speed of HEAT Mihoko carried her towards Karen Aoki-Justice once more. Mihoko could tell this early on in the match that she had a complete advantage, and this was going to cement it. She had a very strong feeling Aoki-Justice wasn't going to move. That she'd have to just lay there and take the next explosive move in her arsenal. And it came in the form of a double knee strike directly to the face. A move that made a loud cracking noise upon impact as HEAT threw all of her force into it.

Arms slung over the top rope as she looked out at the crowd with a very satisfied expression on her face, Mihoko kept her knees in the battered Hawk Moth's face for a few moments before peeling herself away and letting her opponent's head lull out of the corner. HEAT saw blood, immediately looking surprised, then happy. She had done serious damage already. Bleeding from the nose and lip, HEAT had done a number on Karen. The crowd continued to boo as the Hot-Blooded Fighter responded by leaning over, brushing off her knees, which we stained a little crimson. "You all didn't expect this, did you!? You expected me to come out and get my ass beat by this... This rookie!" exclaimed Mihoko, gesturing to Aoki-Justice in the corner.

"Well it's NOT going to happen!" yelled out HEAT, wagging a finger out to the crowd. "She's going to get a lot more ugly when this is over!" Then, Mihoko would reach down, roughly dragging Karen to her feet before spinning her around, forcing her to look at the turnbuckle. She wanted to hit another big move this time--really put on the pressure on her opponent even more this early on. A big suplex would do it. Locking in a hammerlock with one arm, and then a half nelson with the other, HEAT Mihoko would then attempt to heave Karen Aoki-Justice up and over her head with a Half-And-Half Suplex she called The Burninator! She wanted to toss Karen and just smash her and keep her unable to fight back still and keep her commanding lead!

[skip-stop]

Considering how tough her opponent's attacks were, it was not surprising that Karen's consciousness was somewhere on the edge. Only after she blinked a few times the darkness in front of her eyes dissipated slightly. The bright light intensified her headache, causing her to let out a soft groan.

After taking a deep breath, her senses partially returned to her. First of all, her hearing returned to her. Although she didn't like what she heard at all. HEAT literally screamed at the audience, telling them that she was going to make Karen much uglier. The fact that she chose this word even more confused the Japanese girl.

"What's fucking wrong with her..." she thought.

There is nothing wrong with striving for victory, the Hawk Moth was fully aware that any fighter, being in the ring, wants victory. However, what her rival was talking about seemed to her something absurd. Of course, if they were sworn enemies or if Karen was the unquestioning favorite in this match, then she would understand why HEAT was talking about her with such hatred. But considering that these were the first steps in their careers for both of them...

Karen didn't have enough time to draw any conclusions, because the Japanese-American girl didn't even think to stop. Instead, she grabbed Karen, forcing her to her feet. And although the Hawk Moth knew that it was enough for her to simply push her opponent away, at that moment her body was more like cotton wool, because she had not recovered from that hard knee strike to her face.

Because of this, HEAT didn't have any problems turning Karen around first and then blocking both of her arms. And although the Japanese girl had never used this move, she was familiar with it, she knew what would happen next. But, unfortunately, she was not able to prevent it. HEAT leaned back sharply, causing Karen's short hair to rustle in the gusts of wind.

But it didn't last long. A second later, Karen's head and the upper part of the Hawk Moth's body crashed into the mat. HEAT did not hold her, as a result of which, thanks to a powerful impulse, Karen's body bounced off the mat and turned over. Having fallen on the mat once again, she remained lying face down. It seems that looks can really be deceptive. She was hoping for a fair match where she and her opponent could exchange skills.

But now she could only hope that she will find a gap in her opponent's seemingly endless attacks. Although, of course, before that, she needed to regain her breath at least a little... if she would have the opportunity at all...

[Dubski]

HEAT Mihoko lifted Karen up and flipped her up and over with the Burninator, planting her into the mat with impressive impact. Mihoko would then sit up, throwing a fist in the air with a determined expression on her face. Now this was it! This was the dominant start she was looking for! And potentially a dominant end as well!

Her opponent was bloodied, taken multiple blows to the head, and Mihoko felt perfectly fine. The Hawk Moth was in trouble, a position that normally HEAT was in, and it made her feel great knowing that. "She's OUT!" proclaimed the Hot-Blooded Fighter, throwing her arms out to the side.

She moved over to Karen Aoki-Justice, pushing the girl over onto her back. HEAT would then go for the cover, laying over Karen's body and hooking the leg with one arm, and then pressing her forearm into the face of the Hawk Moth. Specifically, Mihoko pressed that forearm into the busted up nose of her opponent, trying to force more pain into it.

This could very well be it! A full on squash and victory for Mihoko against this rookie! The referee went down to count the pinfall as HEAT held on tight!

"ONE!"

[skip-stop]

Of the three matches in which Karen managed to take part, it was in this match that she had the worst start. Even considering the fact that her match against Barbara started with the blonde's fist crashed into her pussy. But at least Karen kept her mind clear enough to respond to her rival for such a vile attack.

This time it was different. After HEAT distracted her with a microphone throw and knocked the air out of her with a hard dropkick, the Hawk Moth didn't even have a second to rest. Because of this, she could not gather her strength and give at least some kind of rebuff to the blue-haired girl. As sad as it sounds, she practically turned into a punching bag for her opponent.

All this led to the fact that Karen was lying face down on the mat, unable to force herself to move. Although perhaps it was for the best, because if she tried to get to her feet, then for sure she would just get another blow that she could not avoid. But because of her sad state, HEAT decided that this was a great opportunity to take the victory.

When the Japanese-American girl turned Karen over on her back, the Hawk Moth let out a soft groan, because at that moment her body was not ready for any movement at all. Although, as it was easy to guess, the worst was still ahead. HEAT lay across Karen, hooked her leg, and also did not disdain to press her forearm to Karen's bleeding nose.

"Uggmmmm..." she groaned because of the painful sensations.

"ONE!"

Karen's groan was literally drowned in a loud slap near her head. She didn't even need to open her eyes to understand what was going on. Her shoulder blades were pressed against the mat and that was more than enough for the referee to start counting. The Japanese girl felt a pain in her chest as if someone squeezed her heart. Is it really going to end like this?

"TWO!!"

The forearm pressed against her nose caused irritating painful sensations. Her body was still wadded up. The back of her neck was still throbbing because of the suplex. She didn't even strike a single blow at her opponent. Was it difficult to guess exactly how Karen felt at that moment?

"Not for the second time in a row..." sounded in her head.

First Barbara and her low blows. Now HEAT and her advantage, which she got meanness. Karen knew that a fighter's life doesn't consist of just victories. But the thought of losing to some cowardly bitch for the second time in a row made her angry. The moment the referee's hand began to approach the mat for the third time, the Hawk Moth felt anger begin to flow through her veins.

"THR..."

"Raaaahhhh!!!" She screamed.

At the same time, the Japanese girl strained her entire body, and then violently jerked to the left side, simultaneously straightening the captured leg. This was enough to raise the right shoulder above the mat. And although the referee's palm was close enough to the mat, a moment later the striped shirt showed only two fingers. To the loud delight of the audience.

[Dubski]

HEAT Mihoko was smirking happily as she kept that pin. On she made sure it was snug. If Karen wanted to kick out, she'd have to really put forth some effort into it. It wouldn't:5 be easy for her. The forearm in the face just added onto that struggle, making sure there would be some more pain, even in this pin attempt. No doubt that it would make Aoki-Justice's nose start leaking red again.

The first count came down, and it felt good. Being able to show she could keep her opponent down so early delighted HEAT. The second count came, and she actually thought that the Hawk Moth might be down for the count after all.

But alas, the third third count never came. Mihoko couldn't even be upset at it. The match was early, and Karen seemed like someone who would have a little more guts in her to not want to lose so early. But the chance that she knocked on the Hawk Moth's noggin hard enough to keep her from fighting back was a strong possibility with these early hits so far.

"Oh, you're just really asking for more, aren't you!?" asked HEAT, looking out at the crowd as she held out her arms in a kneeling position. Sure, Karen wouldn't stay down there, but it had taken a lot out of her to kick out here, so Mihoko decided she would just keep wearing her down.

Giving Aoki-Justice a shove to send her onto her front, Mihoko knew she should keep working on the head and neck, so she would then attempt to drive her knee between her opponent's shoulder blades and then try to wrap her hands under the girl's chin.

HEAT Mihoko would then try to tug hard on that submission, trying to damage Karen with that rear chin lock. A vicious maneuver that would add unwanted pressure to her neck and head, wanting to just continue softening it up to continue on with her advantage. She figured a submission wouldn't be possible either, but the suffering through it? That was a good addition and would force Karen to have to keep working harder to stay in it.