Teenage Wasteland

[BlackAkuma]

Now, this was where the rubber met the road. Talia had skill, no shortage of it, and while Angela wasn’t in a good position to judge, she was willing to bet that she would have trouble finding too many boxers with this ability level at her age and weight class. She would wager that the woman’s lack of success in that sport came down to a bad trainer, maybe the wrong people speaking in her ear - someone with this sort of focus and drive should’ve excelled.

But their loss was the wrestling world’s gain, and Angela would happily work with her. She just needed to put the rookie through her paces, and this - a good grappling session - was a perfect way to start.

So far, things were going as she expected. Angela moved in, tied up with Talia, and the young woman was clearly taken off guard. Understandable, this wasn’t a situation she would’ve ever encountered before, being overpowered by a larger foe in such a way, having to deal with this kind of raw strength. It was natural for her to be overwhelmed.

Though Angela couldn't help but get the impression it wasn’t just that. The flushed face hadn't slipped her notice, and she would hazard a guess where it was coming from. She had been here herself, decades ago, and she remembered how intoxicating this sort of contact could be if you were of a particular attraction. It was one more thing Talia would have to overcome.

To her credit, she didn’t stay stunned for too long, and began to push her way out in short order. Angela could’ve held her up against the ropes all day, but she eased up when she felt the woman pushing back, letting gain ground and retake a few steps.

”There we go, push back.” She nodded and hunkered down, stopping Talia’s progress. ”It’s not too different from what you’re used to. Positioning, reactions, stances. Knowing what to do in the right situations.”

To demonstrate, Angela abruptly stepped to Talia’s side, wrapped her arms around the woman’s skull, and seamlessly transitioned into a headlock, applying enough pressure to keep the smaller woman under control without hurting her.

Well, without hurting her too much.

[BuggyD501]

Talia’s body tensed as Angela’s arms coiled around her head, locking her into the headlock with practiced ease. The sudden shift in control sent a jolt of panic through her veins as her face was pressed against Angela’s side, her breathing becoming slightly labored from the pressure.

Her instincts screamed at her to fight back, to punch, to push, to do something—but this was different from the ring she was used to. This wasn’t about throwing strikes and dancing around her opponent. This was wrestling. This was control. And right now... she had none.

The feeling of helplessness dug deep, hitting a nerve she’d felt before—those moments in the boxing ring when her opponents would corner her, hammering her with blow after blow until she couldn’t breathe. It made her stomach twist. That familiar feeling of failure creeping in again.

But no.

Talia clenched her jaw and forced the doubt out of her head. This wasn’t boxing. This wasn’t her getting beaten down and humiliated in front of a crowd. This was training. This was her shot at something new.

She gritted her teeth and planted her feet, feeling the strain in her neck as Angela tightened the hold. Her arms reached up, grasping at Angela’s wrist, trying to pry her way out, but it was like trying to bend steel. The woman’s strength was unreal, and the pressure building in Talia’s skull was dizzying.

Seconds felt like minutes. Every breath she took felt heavier, every movement felt sluggish. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

But she refused to tap.

She twisted her body, trying to shift her weight, but Angela adjusted effortlessly, keeping her locked in place. Talia's frustration bubbled up, her mind racing for an escape. Think, think!

Then, she remembered something Angela had said. Positioning. Reactions.

It wasn’t about brute force. It was about leverage.

Talia bent her knees slightly, lowering her center of gravity. She slipped her arm around Angela’s waist, gripping tight, and with a sudden, desperate burst of strength, she pushed her body forward and twisted her hips, trying to shift Angela’s balance.

[BlackAkuma]

A nice, simple way to start things off - you couldn't get much more basic than a headlock.

Of course, with someone of Angela’s strength crushing down on someone of Talia’s, even such a simple move could be quite debilitating, and she could only imagine what was going through the younger wrestler’s head. There were a thousand and one ways to get out of this hold and about half of them would’ve worked despite the size difference, but that didn’t do Talia any good when she knew none of them. Something they would be working on.

”Basic headlock. The greatest move in all of wrestling. From this, I could transition into so many moves it would make your head spin. DDTs, chokes, suplexes, slams. This is the tree from which all good things grow.”

A little artistic embellishment never hurt anyone.

From the looks of things, Talia was having a rough time of it. Understandable. This wasn’t a submission move, but having your head seized and body controlled had to be a harrowing experience for the first time. She was dealing with it as well as could be expected, but Angela was ready to move on and show her some solutions.

She had just opened her mouth to speak when the rookie began to move, her struggle becoming more fruitful. Sinking low, pushing out, she could upset Angela’s balance, and while that wouldn’t have been enough against her in a real match, it would’ve worked on someone in Talia’s weight class. She could give it to her.

Angela released the hold and transitioned, spinning around behind her trainee, dipping down and wrapping her arms around the woman for a tight waistlock. She hugged Talia tight and spoke over her shoulder, letting her face loom in the edge of her vision. ”I’ve got you—only a second before I turn this hold into something extremely painful. What’s your move?”

[BuggyD501]

Talia froze the moment she felt Angela’s arms coil around her waist.

Her breath hitched.

The pressure was immediate, firm, and inescapable. It wasn’t just the physical grip—it was the sheer dominance Angela exuded without even trying. Talia could feel the veteran’s breath against her ear, her voice low and taunting, sending a chill down her spine that made her heart hammer against her ribcage.

Her face flushed again. Damn it.

She couldn’t keep getting distracted like this.

Angela wasn’t going to give her time to think. If this were a real match, she’d already be lifted off her feet and slammed into the canvas.

Focus.

Talia gritted her teeth, her mind racing. She couldn’t overpower her. Angela was built like a tank, and trying to brute force her way out would only tire her out faster.

But...

Talia glanced down at Angela’s legs.

If she couldn’t break the grip...

She’d break the foundation.

With a sudden shift, Talia stomped down hard on Angela’s foot, causing her grip to loosen just slightly from the surprise. In that split second, Talia twisted her body and threw her hip to the side, hooking her leg behind Angela’s and sweeping it out from under her.

[BlackAkuma]

And there it was again—the freezing. Before, Angela could’ve written it off as a minor hiccup, a byproduct of Talia being taken off guard by the natural intimacy from even the most straight-laced wrestling match. Still, it was becoming clear that there was a little more to it. Intimacy? Perhaps.

She believed Talia was being honest with her motivations for joining LAW, but that didn’t mean she couldn't fall into some of the same traps that others did, letting her attractions get in the way of things. Angela could sympathize. She’d been a hotblooded youngster once. Those days were far behind her, though, and she wasn’t sure how to help Talia. She wasn’t even able to calm her daughter down, she had much less chance with anyone else.

However, she kept those thoughts at the back of her mind for the time being and focused on the current situation. She gave Talia enough time to gather her senses and make a move, time that the young woman wisely used. Angela braced herself when she felt the rookie was moving, but she’d prepared her body for a throw or a slip, some attempt at a slick escape that she could punish.

Not a stomp.

Angela cried out, both from shock and pain, as the heel hammered her instep. It wasn’t much, but it was what Talia needed to take control of her leg, whip her around, and plant her flat on her back. The sheer gutsiness of the move was enough to force a laugh out of the Perfect Woman.

”Good!” She started to rise back up, leaving herself open in the process, a prime target. ”Keep coming.”

[BuggyD501]

Talia’s heart pounded in her chest as she saw Angela rising, leaving herself open.

Her body reacted before her mind could catch up.

She stepped in, quick on her feet, and snapped a jab toward Angela’s face. It wasn’t her hardest punch, but fast enough to test Angela’s reflexes. Talia didn’t stop there—she immediately followed up with a sharp right hook aimed toward her ribs, hoping to catch her off guard before she could fully recover.

Her footwork was instinctive, light and agile as she danced around Angela’s frame, keeping her movements unpredictable. She weaved to the side and fired a third strike, a quick uppercut aimed toward her midsection, trying to keep the pressure on.

But...

Even as she threw each punch, doubt gnawed at her.

Would these punches even affect someone like Angela? The woman was built like a brick wall, and Talia couldn’t shake the feeling that her strikes would just bounce off her like pebbles against steel.

No.

She couldn’t think like that.

This was her chance. Her moment to prove herself.

Talia clenched her fists tighter and kept throwing, her body moving purely on instinct, her eyes locked on Angela’s reactions.

She didn’t care if she missed. She didn’t care if Angela shrugged off her hits.

She was going to keep swinging.

Keep fighting.

Keep proving that she belonged here.

[BlackAkuma]

Angela told Talia to come. Fair play, she came.

A punch, a jab came in first, rattling across Angela’s skull. Not the hardest punch she’d ever taken by any means, but it was crisp and clean, delivered with the sort of surgical precision you would expected from practiced fists.

Another one came in a moment later, as Angela was making her way up, slicing into her ribs, right on the bone. Size or not, that was a bad place to take a hit, leaving her wincing. That spot would be tender for a day or two.

More come soon after, swift strikes that pelted against her guard. Some she blocked, others found their way through, but eventually they would all take a toll. Angela needed to shut it down - preferably in a way that wouldn’t hurt the up-and-coming wrestler too much.

She waited for the lull after a solid impact, then surged forward and attempted to wrap her arms around the smaller woman’s waist, hoisting her off the ground and pulling her in for a tight bearhug. Not too tight, mind you - she wasn’t looking to break hips, today. But enough power to exert her authority and leave Talia’s feet dangling off the ground.

A good way to shut her down, at least for a moment, and test how well she could handle a more dangerous submission hold. Also, Angela was curious to gauge the woman’s reaction. ”Got you.” She locked eyes with the younger wrestler, and a soft smile came over her face. ”You’re trapped. What’s your escape plan?”

[BuggyD501]

Talia’s breath hitched as she felt Angela’s powerful arms clamp around her waist, lifting her clean off the ground.

Her body tensed, her eyes widening in slight panic as her feet dangled helplessly. The pressure around her ribs made it hard to breathe, but Talia gritted her teeth and fought against it.

Think.

Her instinct screamed at her to try to throw punches, but her arms began to feel like jelly...

Her legs kicked and squirmed as she tried to pry herself free, twisting her body side to side in an attempt to loosen Angela’s grip.

Talia’s mind raced. If she couldn’t break the hold with raw strength, she needed to be smart about this.

She reached up, attempting to push against Angela’s face, aiming for her nose or chin—anything to make her release the hold, or at least loosen it enough for her to slip free.

But the pressure...

It was overwhelming.

Talia could feel her body weakening, her energy slowly draining as she fought against the crushing strength. She groaned, and let out soft moans of agony as she tried her best to get out of the situation.

Her tongue darted out, as she coughed and shook, her body slowly shaking from the pressure...she was gonna get knocked out...Angela could have some fun with her weakened stated if she desired.

[BlackAkuma]

It always amused Angela when people looked at her height and claimed to be envious. While she didn’t regret being as tall as she was, it was more of a mixed bag than people seemed to realize. The modern world was designed with average-sized people in mind, so she was fated to constantly hit her head on things that most would’ve easily slipped under, to not fitting in certain seats, to the extreme difficulty of finding dresses that fit - the rise of online shopping had been a godsend.

Then there was a problem like this: Sometimes, Angela forgot how strong she was.

She hadn't meant to put that much pressure on Talia, but it could be hard to gauge sometimes. She tended to go easy on her daughter when they sparred, but she figured the woman could take a bit more than that, having a decent combat background.

She had to rethink that assessment when she felt Talia’s body weakening in her grasp, her body wilting at a rapid rate. Angela cursed under her breath and immediately dropped to her knees so she could gently set her down on her back.

”Easy, easy.” She looked over the smaller woman, worried, and gave her a light pat on the cheek to help rouse her. ”Are you okay?”

[BuggyD501]

Talia’s head was spinning. One moment, she’d been holding her ground, pushing back against Angela’s overwhelming strength, and the next... darkness.

Her eyes fluttered open as she felt a light pat on her cheek, Angela’s voice faintly cutting through the haze. Her body felt heavy, her limbs sluggish to respond. The air was slowly creeping back into her lungs as her vision adjusted, focusing on Angela’s concerned expression.

"Y-Yeah... I’m... I’m good," Talia murmured, her voice shaky. She tried to sit up, only for a dull ache to pulse through her body, reminding her of the strength difference between them.

“Damn... you really don’t know your own strength, huh?” she chuckled weakly, attempting to play it off despite the lingering soreness.

Her pride stung more than her body, but deep down, she knew this was just another lesson in humility.