Graduation Day

[BlackAkuma]

All four girls showed promise in their own areas, developing in ways she couldn't have predicted when she started their training. None of them were perfect, still needed tuning in so many ways, but there were lessons that no amount of training could teach - they needed ring time, needed real action, to take a few hard loses before they could see the flaws in their styles. If she could give them even a small taste of that today, Freezer would call the outing a rousing success.

Charlie was a fine example. Fast, energetic, all the makings of a fine luchadora. Once she got going, she could be a handful, but she tended to go a little too fast. No doubt, she worried about the time limit, and that was a factor. But four minutes in a wrestling ring could be an eternity. She didn’t need to rush, she had more than enough time, so long as she was smart about it.

The clothesline wasn’t being smart. If Zelda or even Bobbie had tried that, they might - might - have had some success, if only because Freezer wouldn’t have expected it right out of the gate. Experience could work against a wrestler sometimes when facing rookies, throwing you off when they didn’t go for the proper setups through a lack of expertise or tried off-the-wall things that someone on your level would never be crazy enough to do. There was some merit to it.

But not with Charlie. Freezer was a solid middleweight and Charlie was a lightweight for life. The clothesline wouldn’t have done much if it had hit, most likely.

It seemed like Charlie understood her folly, too, as she slowed down once Freezer had control of her arm. It seemed like she froze up for a moment, and Freezer prepared to make her pay, but there was no need - she got her stuff together soon enough and came up with a plan. An interesting one, too.

Freezer had been expecting something a little more traditional, like a headlock takedown or a snapmare. Instead, she was brought down into a jawbreaker, her chin rammed into the woman’s tiny little skull. Not the most effective move with Charlie’s weight, but it did make her let go of the hold thanks to a quick stun. Good on her.

Freezer wasn’t about to make it easy, however. She had only released the hold for half a second before she surged forward again, dipped down, and wrapped her arms around the smaller woman’s waist from behind. She lifted her up, bridged her back, and hurled Charlie overhead with a catch-and-release German Suplex, a move she knew that Charlie could counter - if her mind was in the right place to do it. Was it?

[HotWheels]

Bobbie didn't regret relenting and letting E do the timekeeping. That seemed mildly important, while she was doing a knowingly shit job of recording.

But it was because she so invested in wrestling, and not only in wrestling, but especially watching Freezer wrestle, and in this case, Charlie. Charlie was a much more interesting wrestler to her than either Goti or E, though she was sure she could have watched E in her current outfit for hours, and Bobbie wanted to see her succeed, too. She was sort of their little sister in a lot of ways, and what weirdo didn't want to see her little sister succeed? E, apparently, who was so dutifully keeping time that she was only watching half of the match.

Bobbie corrected that when she saw Charlie counter with the jawbreaker. She squeaked and pushed at E's cheek to make her look in the ring. "She hit her!" "Quit!" It probably shouldn't have been such a huge thing, but at first, Charlie hadn't hit much of anyone ever. And who she did hit thought of her hits sa mosquito bites in a southern swamp. Bobbie had that particular experience. But now Charlie could hit even Freezer, and their idol would notice it. She would also resort to tossing Charlie over her head for the effort, but at least she had felt it.

"Do something Charlie!", Bobbie yelled, not sure what to offer as constructive criticism as she watched her smallest clubmate sail through the air but needing to say something anyway. And she did indeed do something. It wasn't the kind of thing Bobbie would have tried, nor would she have succeeded in the slightest. But Charlie course corrected in mid-air, landing on both of her feet and stumbling back until her spine hit the turnbuckle. The Canadian winced, but Bobbie excitedly watched as Charlie bounded back before Freezer could gather herself from the suplex's execution. She tumbled, drove herself into the air, and attempted a drop of her knees aimed at Freezer's chest. "YEEEEEAH!"

[BlackAkuma]

With Charlie being so light, Freezer had to be careful with moves like these. She didn’t want to hold back much in these matches, but at the same time, she didn’t want to annihilate her students, either, and there was always the small chance that even the most mundane wrestling move could result in injury, especially with rookies. While she wouldn’t say she gave Charlie a soft German Suplex, she didn’t execute it with the kind of backbreaking force she would’ve brought for a heated rival or a championship match. It wasn’t that serious.

That would be the real challenge with these spars - going far enough to give them a true test, but not asking for more than she knew they were capable up at this level. Reasonable expectations.

Charlie, so far, was meeting them. Freezer felt a little thrill when she heard the tell-tale sound of sneakers skidding across the mat, and looked up to see her student stumbling away - a little off-kilter, but standing. A great counter, and something only she - and maybe E on a good day - could pull off.

Well done. Could she follow up?

Freezer began to sit up, only for Charlie to come rushing in and leap her way, going for the knee drop. Not a bad choice. While the Ice Maiden wasn’t slow by any measure, she was no speedster, and with the young girl’s speed and the short distance between them, there wasn’t time to roll away: she had to take this. Freezer tensed up, prepared her body for the hit, but even so…

”Ooof!”

Charlie’s knee drove hard into chest and knocked the wind out of her. It was probably no worse than taking a heavy punch, but even so, it was enough to leave her rocked and slow her down, both good things for the young wrestler. Freezer rolled over and pushed her way up, rising to her feet with a withering smile as she rubbed her chest. That had been a good one, and she would need a couple of seconds to recover, giving Charlie a chance to press her advantage.

[HotWheels]

E was watching, quite closely too, even though it seemed like her mind was only on her timekeeping with the way she studiously kept checking so she could announce the minutes and ensure Charlie knew what she had to work with. She wouldn’t do that for the first minute, which was passing, but she checked it anyway. But she wanted to see how their smallest friend did. E didn’t have any belief that she was miles ahead of Charlie. Zelda was far and away the best of the four of them, having come in with a bodybuilder’s physique due to all that equipment lifting and bar bouncing she had done. Bobbie was like a mule, and stubborn as one too, so she had taken to it quickly. E was much like Charlie. They had never done any physical work in their lives. E needed to see Charlie succeed to know that she could, too.

She rested her chin on the apron before realizing feet had been there, but at least showing her full attention kept the still-barking Bobbie from yanking her head around anymore. She peeked between Goti’s legs as the German walked around, doing much of nothing as the ref, and she could see Charlie stick that knee drop - beautifully, in fact. Her face studied Charlie’s in the aftermath, unknowingly matching thoughts with her - look back to check on the state of her opponent, but don’t wait too long. Charlie made that glance, and then she took off, right toward E. And more importantly, toward Bobbie, who was so close she might screw up Charlie’s trajectory.

E pulled hard on the waistband of Bobbie’s bottoms, yanking her away from the ropes just as Charlie sank into them and rebounded back in the other direction. Bobbie just looked back at her in confusion that turned into a grin, clearly thinking E had some sort of sexual intent. The Russian rolled her eyes, but both of them were looking back to see Charlie in flight again, this time springboarding off the ropes nearest to Freezer and trying to land a flying dropkick to Freezer’s gut. Charlie would never be able to hit the big ones - but she could pile up those little, unexpected impacts from all angles in a heartbeat.

[BlackAkuma]

It was, indeed, a beautiful knee drop. Not that the move was all that complicated, but with anything, there was the wrong way, the good way, and the best way. Charlie’s was closer to the latter category that most. All the weight coming down on a central point, good follow through. The little hellkitten was on a roll.

And that was the danger. While she didn’t want the girl to doubt herself too much, wrestling wasn’t purely about instinct. Charlie needed to use her head, as well - to pace herself, to take her time, to not get too carried away. She had landed two good moves, an auspicious start, but she needed to read her opponent and bring out the best moves for the situation.

A dropkick? Gutsy. Bold. Risky.

Freezer waited until the last, then threw her body to the side as Charlie came flying past her, dropping down so she fell to the canvas at almost the exact same time, placing her behind her student. With no wasted movement, she grabbed the little one by the shoulders, pulled her in wrapped her legs around her waist, and viola - a bodyscissors, locked on her from behind.

”Got you.” A wry little taunt, one she couldn't quite help. The bodyscissor only had enough strength to keep her trapped at the start, but she applied more and more force with each passing second, putting pressure on Charlie in every sense of the word.

[HotWheels]

Charlie couldn't believe what was happening, but she was well aware that belief was part of her whole struggle in the first place. She tried to cast that aside. Zelda had belief, and while she had fought people before, it was more her belief that she could kick ass that made it so. Same with Bobbie, who had less experienced fighting people. Charlie had to know that she could keep up in the ring with people like Freezer, and while she was nowhere near her level, she had managed to get two hits on her! And as she launched off of the ropes with a gasp of intensity and energy, she knew that the third one was-

Not coming. She threw out both legs, only to catch air and fly straight past Freezer. Her mind was already racing through what might have gone wrong even as she landed, banging up her hip and her elbow just enough that it summoned a wince and a kick of her feet. She had learned how to hit people, but she still didn't like being hit all that much, even by the mats through her own stupidity. She tried to shake it off, to think about where she could have made a better decision...

Equal parts horror and thrill wrapped around her mind as easily as it wrapped around her body. There was a time, early in their training, when having their idol snag them in a bodyscissor with those gorgeous legs of hers would have been such a huge distraction that the match would have already been over. But with time and experience came Charlie's ability to keep her composure... or at least, as much composure as one could have when stuck between the legs of a dangerous woman. She gasped, and her hands came down to uselessly paw at Freezer's thighs. Her extremely nice, very fit-

No, no! She had to think. Whining her complaints, Charlie tried to turn over, only for the first burst of added strength to slow her down and leave her grasping again. Goti had squatted down, watching silently for a sign of submission, and on the sidelines, Bobbie had started a one-woman rally with her clapping. But Charlie tried her best to focus. What... what was it that helped with a bodyscissor? What was the escape? She could hardly think already, and the increasing pressure was slowing her thoughts further.

Wait... not escape. The escape didn't matter. She wrenched her head back to see where the ropes might be, and with an urgency brought on by her awareness of the timer, she threw her tiny body back with some force. Not enough to throw Freezer back or off of her, no, but enough to flip herself backward and stretch out with every appendance - her legs stretching out over her reaching arms - to touch one of the ropes. It wasn't pretty, and the ass Zelda had brought attention to was on full display, but it might save her.

[BlackAkuma]

While the bond with Freezer and her girls had started with sexual attraction, it had quickly evolved into something more fulfilling than simple lust. Perhaps it was overly sentimental, but she genuinely felt these girls were the closest thing she would ever have to daughters. People she wanted to see grow, to nurture. Birds in her little nest, getting ready to fly. It made her look at them in a way she had never looked at other women.

But even so, the undertones remained. You couldn't expect less from four relationships that started with kisses. On some level, there was an attraction between them, so this wasn’t simply a test of the mental and physical - there was a sensual aspect, too. Seduction was a key tool in most LAW wrestler’s arsenals, and if they weren’t able to resist it, they would never succeed.

So, out came the legs. Not a move that Freezer would’ve typically resorted to in this position, but strong enough to pose a real threat to the smaller woman without cutting off too many routes of escape. Scissorholds were common enough in LAW, so it was only a matter of time before Charlie found herself in this position for real. Best she gets used to it.

Freezer continued to ramp up the pressure as Charlie focused, looking about, fighting back the panic. Freezer chewed her lip, hoping that her student would lock in and figure things out. She even considered giving her some hints, as much as that would invalidate the point. Thankfully, it didn’t come to that - she flipped over, reached out with her legs, and snagged the ropes. A little unconventional, but Freezer was always happy when they thought outside the box.

She gave Charlie’s waist one, final, playful squeeze, then unlocked and slid out from under her student. She enjoyed the view of her student’s upturned bottom as she rose, then stepped away, giving her room to rise. Freezer raised her hands and lowered her stance, devilishly staring towards the younger woman with a little edge to her grin - daring her to lock up. Obviously not the smartest move with their size difference, but she wanted to see how Charlie would react. Take the bait? Go for something tricky? Try a fakeout? So many options.

[HotWheels]

…Not bad. Zelda couldn’t have done that one.

She would have smothered herself in her own tits or broken her neck under her own weight, lying on her shoulders like that. But Charlie was small, compact, flexible, even if not a heavy hitter. It actually took the “ref” a couple of seconds to realize she needed to be refereeing, and she moved over to start counting only by the time Freezer let their smallest friend free. She watched the Canadian uncork herself from her folded-over position and suck in several breaths to regain her bearings. Charlie didn’t talk much about her past, but Zelda knew enough. Sicknesses, low expectations, all that shit. She rooted for Charlie the most among them to make this a career, admittedly, but felt she was the farthest from being a threat on her own. She was holding her own better than Zelda had expected, nonetheless.

“Nice ass show, Charlie!” Bobbie yelled from the sidelines, and Zelda violently waved her off. This wasn’t the time for that taunting, but fortunately, Charlie wasn’t listening. She was clearly getting her bearings and pondering her next move. Freezer was offering a tie-up. Zelda impassively paced and watched them, but in her head, she was repeatedly telling Charlie not to do something so stupid. Lock-ups were for women her size, not the tiny ones.

But Charlie did ease in toward their mentor… only to suddenly drop low and send a fist flying out. Zelda wasn’t sure at first if she had struck Freezer’s lower abdomen, but either way, their smallest companion ducked even lower to follow up by sweeping her leg out to trip up both of Freezer’s own. Probably one of the smarter things she could have done - she had tripped up Zelda in their spar only a week ago doing the same thing.

[BlackAkuma]

Freezer was a little irked at the commentary from Bobbie, always the most talkative of the bunch. Of the quartet, she wagered the Southerner would have the most success when it came to promos, probably even much better than she herself was in that regard. She wasn’t nervous in front of crowds or anything so severe, but Freezer had never been the type to rile up a crowd with a rousing speech. She much preferred the subtle approach.

But there was a time for chat and a time for focus. Bobbie meant well, but Charlie had enough distractions in her own mind to deal with, as the two of them squared off, face to face. Freezer was closing in with every step, making it clear that if Charlie didn’t move, she would make her move, and not in a way that would end well. She needed to take the initiative.

And that she did. The punch to her abs was a surprise, and while Charlie didn’t have the power to damage her core, few women did. It was enough to make her wince and flinch, though, buy the smaller woman a crucial moment, which she used to drop down and go for a sweep. Fast, effective, well-executed.

But inadequate…sort of. It did make Freezer fall onto her back, but she didn’t stay there for more than half a second before she threw her legs up, rolled off her shoulders, and popped to her feet in a singular, practiced motion. It put her a less vulnerable position than simply laying down, but it had taken a moment to execute, creating an opening that Charlie could exploit…if she was still on the ball.