Honor and Glory

Carmen waited in the gorilla position, leaning up against some crates with her eyes closed, just taking in all the sights and sounds around her. There was the hum of the audience outside, the din of ten thousand voices murmuring and shuffling about, getting ready for the next segment. Some of the backstage crew were having an argument nearby, something about the lightning and who was supposed to bring what equipment for it, technical stuff she didn't understand. Footsteps going this way and that, hurrying all about like worker drones through the ant hill.

The smell of oil and sweat hung thick in the air, and she drank it in deep with a long breath, savoring the scent in her nostrils. It had been a long, long time since she’d been back here, and it felt good. So good.

That wasn't to say she hadn't been busy in the past year. Since she’d lost her 24/7 Title, Carmen had found herself trying to get her non-wrestling affairs in order - her gym, her family, her training, she’d dug deep into them all. A little trip back to Puerto Rico helped her refocus, and when she came back she focused on getting the gym updated, bringing in some new machines and seeing that the old equipment was replaced and repaired. That brought in more clients which meant more money, but also meant less time for her other endeavors.

She was a busy, busy woman, and she didn’t mind that in the least. But she was also a competitor at heart. That was in her blood, was what she was trained to do, and she would be lying if she said she missed the ring. That was why she’d come here tonight: to get her fix.

A collective gasp came over the crowd as Ana Tijoux’s Vengo came blaring out of the speakers, leading to some cheers and more than a few confused voices. They all rose as the theme’s owner came out a moment later, confirming that yes, in fact, Carmen Rodriguez was making her way back to the Tension ring.

Carmen Rodriguez:

Carmen had never been the ‘wave at the crowd, high fives all around’ type, but she became one temporarily on her way down the ramp. She smiled, she bumped fists, all genuine. It was good to see all of them, to have that love coming her way. She just hoped she could show how much with she was about to do next.

She made her way into the ring after getting a microphone from the timekeeper, and she would’ve spoken right away, but…

”Welcome back! Welcome back!”

The chants came, loud and clear, and the smile she’d been sporting grew a little wider with each one. She let them go for a few minutes, milked it, before she brought the microphone to her mouth. ”You know,” She coughed to clear her throat, wanting to come through without a hitch. ”There was a time when I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to stay in and wrestling or go back to boxing. Where I’d started to wonder if I’d made the right decision in staying here. But people like you…” She raised her finger and scanned it across the audience, getting a cheer wherever it went. ”...you helped me figure out the answer to that. So, thank you.”

The audience broke into claps and she let them go for a little while, even joining them and bathing in the moment. When it simmer, though, she was quick to bring the microphone back up and get to the point. They hadn’t paid their tickets to hear her talk, after all.

”So. I’m back, as you can see. I’m dressed to compete.” She took a step back and spread her arms out, letting everyone see she was still in fighting shape. ”So how about we have a tune-up match? I know Tension has a lot of new talent, so I’m making a challenge to any of them. My name is Carmen Rodriguez, Olympian, former 24/7 Champion, future World Champion,” That got a quick cheer from the crowd, too, but she pressed on. ”And if you’re looking to make a name for yourself, there are many worse places to start than with me. I’ll take on anyone in any match. Come out here, throw down your gauntlet, and we can go right now.”

Now that the introduction was out of the way, Carmen took a few steps back and got in some last minute stretching, while she and the audience waited to see who’d come out for the challenge…

Everyone was anxiously waiting for who would appear on stage. With Carmen's return to the ring, it seemed as though it could be anyone. Another return long since overdue? A rival from the past here to burn this moment to the ground? The possibilities seemed endless, and which that came excitement. Various names were shouted out from the stands, new and old. Dream matches everyone wanted to see. Now was the perfect time to indulge in the fantasy of what could be.

Music:

When an unfamiliar theme hit, the crowd went hushed. Foreign and strange, that didn't mean this wasn't a new theme for someone who was a fan favorite. Cheers and whistles broke out as everyone waited impatiently for who would appear. A brunette slipped from behind the dark curtains. While interesting at a glance by her choice of attire alone, her unknown status among the tension crowd garnered a unfavorable crowd reception. It could have been anyone, who was this nobody? The woman garbed in blue held back the curtain and from it emerged another unknown, this one blond in similar attire to the first. The two were unmistakably a team, dawning "armor" that was the stuff of video games made to objectify the female form rather than protection. Both woman wore it extremely well, form fitting leaving little to the imagination but much in the way of desire. The two strode there way to the edge of the stage as if they belonged, already comfortable with the large crowd and the mixed reception. The blond held her head high, microphone in hand, while the brunette trailed beside her waving to the crowd and blowing kisses.

The girl in blue stepped out in front of the two of them, holding her arm out she made a deliberate display of working her glove off, one finger at a time. Lofted on high it was presented to the crowd before the girl gave it a gentle underhand toss where it bounced down the ramp before coming to a stop part way down. A literal gauntlet being thrown down for Carmen’s challenge. It was a play on the veterans words for all those who cared to follow along. The brunette smiled wide, taking a step back into a low dipped curtsy. The blond woman brought up the mic, giving it a few small taps until it provided some feedback having just been switched on.

“Lady Rodriguez. A woman who truly needs no introduction, and yet, you give it all the same. With your accolades, you are a hard woman to overlook when putting yourself out before the wolves…” She placed a hand to her chest, splaying her fingers out over her breast. “I am Glaive and my overly talkative counterpart is…” The woman in red swept the microphone through the air, leaving it to linger before the one in blue. It seemed as though whatever this was, the brunette hadn't been prepared for this and was left blinking. The blond wore a crooked smile, giving the sound device a small wiggle as if urging her partner on to introduce herself. The brunette didn't seem nearly as amused, shooting her partner an incredulous look before folding her arms with a huff. The blond laughed and drew back the microphone. “You left her speechless, bravo! Her name is Aegis. Together, we are Vanguard.”

Glaive, also known as Mackenzie dipped into a low bow, Ageis, also known as Lexi followed suit right after her partner. They rose in unison, standing tall, proud, and lush before a crowd that seemed far more curious from what the two had to say now, though judgement seemed to be reserved still. “While we are far from new to the business, we are fresh faces in the back. I thought, what better time to make our mark on Tension than to face one of the division's darlings. Aegis thought it would be prudent to give you a proper welcome, a far more personal one than the fans could give... despite what they may want to." Lexi clapped ecstatically, nodding with a face bit of enthusiasm. "We are here to accept your challenge and issue our terms!"

Mackenzie lowered her microphone, looking over the crowd. She paused for dramatic effect while the brunette held her hands to her mouth, gasping. What ever could their terms be?! The blond raised the mic back to her lips, speaking one word at a time, pausing between each. "Tornado..." The audience's interest was piqued already. "Handicap..." They began to cheer, the crowd was electric. Could Carmen conqueror the odds and bring these two new faces to their knees? "...Hentai..." Oh how the stands erupted at that, a monstrous reaction many hadn't even thought to have when the challenge had been made. The two unknown woman had instantly put themselves on the map with just that word. The fans were ravenous. “... Prisoner of War Match!” Lexi threw up her fist, pumping it in the air with a steady rhythm The crowd caught on, beginning to clap in sync with the brunette. The sound was deafening as most joined in, amplifying the sound.

“Do you accept?” Mackenzie rolled her tongue over her lips as her eyes remained locked on the ring and the prize she so wanted. "You may have come dressed to fight, buuuuut... I think you came a bit overdressed for us." The blond wore a confident smirk, letting the mic fall away from her lips as it dangled between two fingers. Lexi brought her fingers to her lips, giving her fingers a big kiss before blowing out out towards the ring.

Carmen had a short list of people she was hoping would come out, names that caught her interest since she’d been on the backburner. Camilia, for one, the woman who’d given her brother so much trouble. While Felina didn’t want her getting to involved in things, she wouldn’t have said no to Edgar Shaw if he’d stepped out. She’d heard things about Beowulf, and she was itching for a shot at the man to see what the fuss was about.

None of those people answered the call.

Instead, Carmen got two women dressed in some of the oddest wrestling gear she’d ever witnessed, which was no small statement in the AFW. If she had to sum it up in as few words as possible, she’d describe them as ‘hentai knights’ - rich, ornate costumes that resembled armor, albeit armor that left little to the imagination. They reminded her of something off an anime. What little she knew about them from osmosis with Army, anyway.

But they were hot. Quite hot. So she wasn’t about to complain about having a match with either of them. Even if only one of them seemed interested in talking about it.

She stood there with her arms folded over her chest, tapping her microphone on her shoulder as Glaive spoke and Aegis did everything but speak, cute as she was. They were an animated duo, fresh and energetic, which was probably at least part of the reason why their proposal lit a fire under the audience. Carmen remained still and stoic as the blonde laid out her terms, not uttering a word through it all and letting the audience hang for a moment after. She needed to think.

On one hand, this was the wrestling equivalent of a sucker bet. A handicap match would’ve been a challenge enough for any wrestler, but making it a tornado made it exponentially more difficult. But hentai on top? She’d never had an official hentai match. She wasn’t necessarily opposed to one - in fact, she was kind of flattered these two seemed so eager to have her body under their control, a nice confirmation that she could still get some attraction in spite of her lost hair. But it was an area of weakness, and if she had to guess, it wasn’t one that these two shared.

On another hand, though, she did make the challenge. She wasn’t about to back out of it. That wasn’t the Rodriguez way, wasn’t her way, particularly when victory meant gaining not one but two beauties to play with for the night. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but it had been quite a few moons since she’d had that sort of company, so this could scratch multiple itches at the same time.  

Still, she had a bit more to say in reply than a simple ‘Yes’. ”So you’re challenging me to a threesome. Essentially.” She spoke deadpan, but she got a laugh from the crowd all the same, along with quite a few hoots. ”You’re on. But.” The crowd started to cheer, only to stop when she raised a sudden finger. ”I’ll add one thing to the pile. If we do this, we do it without rules. No disqualifications, no rope breaks, no anything, falls count anywhere.”

The crowd cheered now with more vigor than before, loving the idea. Aside from upping the ante, it gave Carmen a small point in her favor, bringing in elements of the match that had earned her a title, and it afforded her more room to fight. With two opponents to worry about simultaneously, that would be crucial.

”If that’s acceptable…” She looked over her shoulder as the referee by the timekeeper’s area prepared to make her way in, wisely gulping down some water beforehand. ”...then come on in. I’m ready to get this night started.”

Carmen took a few steps back to lay the microphone on the apron, then popped up and started to bounce on her heels, raising her fists up all the while. Pumping herself up, psyching herself, getting the blood pumping for what would certainly be one  of the biggest challenges of her career...and one of the most rewarding, too.

“I’m sure these fine people will agree, that while many lovely things come in pairs of two…” Lexi puffed out her chest a bit, giving it a small shake to the amusement and delight of the audience before winking. “Three however, as in the three of us, is a far more attractive number.” The crowd did indeed seem to agree with her. Lexi was nodding along as well, holding up three fingers and displaying a thumbs up.

Both women remained quite as Carmen laid out her counter terms, adding a bit of negotiation to the table. Lexi tilted her head to the side, slowly her entire upper body followed suit until she stood at a weird angle. The gears in Meckenzie’s mind turned as she listened, thinking of all of the possible abuses that the former champions additions could allow.

“Let's make it elimination, since we clearly don't have enough tacked onto this monster of a match just yet. You need to defeat both of us to claim your victory…” Mackenzie lowered her head closer to the microphone, speaking louder despite her softer tone. “You can't take prisoners unless you defeat your foes after all.” Lexi tapped a finger to her lips, contemplating this before nodding in agreement.

The blond upnodded to Carmen in the ring. “Let's become far better acquainted now.” As if the gun shot at the start of a race had been fired off, Lexi took off down the ramp, brimming with visible excitement. Perhaps a bit too eager to get started. Mackenzie caught the girl by the collar, holding her back much to the dismay of the brunette who glanced back with visible disappointment. The blond leaned the mic away, speaking softly to her partner though what she was saying remained a mystery. Freeing her partner’s collar from her grasp, the women in red and blue made their way down the ramp together.

The two girls slide into the ring together in unison, Mackenzie leaving the mic behind on the apron. They approached Carmen, appearing steadfast before her, unmoved by her prowess or warm up… until Lexi broke away, offering a hand to their would be opponent. If Carmen took hold, rather than a shake, the brunette would dip her head and draw the back of the woman's hand into a courtly kiss.

Continued here.