Come-Uppance (Manami)

[Vesper]

The scene was now Madrid, Spain. The setting yet again was Takedown, and once more the arena received it's own version of a "golden shower", and confetti and sparkles littered the ring and in the center of it sat Vesper Gold as the show returned from a break, in her director's chair.

Tonight, my darlings...will be a very gritty tale to be told. A story of revenge, deep rooted in the vain of competition. It will star myself, and one Manami Kuroguchi, a woman who last week tried to humiliate me and seriously injure Okami Hawaito.

The fans, with the memory of that vicious display of unsportswoman-like conduct, start to boo at Manami's name given mention. She pauses to puff her cigar before continuing.

Hmm...it sounds to me as if all of you want to see Ms. Kuroguchi get hers just as much as I do. Well, tonight isn't going to be a very glitzy encounter. Manami-san, you suddenly don't exactly strike as the refined type of competitor I thought you to be. Perhaps Okami knew better than I did last week, but this week I know enough.

This week, I'm going to meet you in this ring head on, and not to sound too cliche-we'll see how you fare when I don't have my back turned to you. Tonight will be a roaring rampage of revenge that I do for Okami and for myself. The question is, are you ready for you're "come-uppance"?

She sat patiently now and waited for an answer...

[Vault]

-Smirking, Manami comes out onto the stage to no music and a chorus of boos showering over her. The boos had stopped affecting her soon after she got here in XWA. With a microphone in her hand already, she stays on the stage not making any move to get any closer to the ring. Staring at Vesper, Manami sneers and lifts the microphone to her lips.-

" You finally realized I don't like glitzy? I'm not flashy, or as you call it 'refined'. I can't stand women who are flash over substance, that's not how I was taught. Effectiveness over appearance, if you have studied Joshi as you have claimed, that should be something they stressed to you. Flash is embraced by some very formidable competitors in this business of ours' but not by me. "

" That attack last week? That was was just a sample of what I can do when my short little temper is pushed to far. Both of you are lucky I didn't end both of your careers. It's a shame too, I wanted that little mutt's neck to snap like a pathetic little twig. I wanted to feel her bones crack and feel her body go limp. "

-Letting out a sick laugh, Manami continues.-

" Come-uppance? Roaring rampage of revenge? What is this, a badly dubbed Hong Kong action movie? This isn't a movie or an idealistic fantasy world. If you can't do whatever it takes to succeed in this business you don't belong in it. "

[Vesper]

Curiouser and curiouser...

Vesper speaks softly through her microphone, her voice sounding calm and soothing, despite an inner urge to attack.

The more I listen, the more it becomes apparently that things like honor and respect are also qualities you choose not to carry. To wish to end someone's career is the lowest of the low, Manami-san. Every man and woman who comes into this business does it for a reason, and no other man or woman has the right to intentionally seek to take away another person's livelihood.

You don't sound much different from the villain of an action film, to be honest. This may not be a movie or a fantasy, but what it is...is entertainment. These people have come from far and wide to be entertained tonight, and I would suppose a good amount of them would just love to see you get yours for last week. Am I right?

She pauses to gauge the crowd's response, which was making their answer very obvious.

The audience as spoken. So tonight, I'm going to make sure that everyone leaves with a smile on their face, except for you of course.

[Vault]

" Well aren't you just little miss kiss up? I don't care what other people think. That's something you need to learn about me, I am a loner. I don't need everyone's approval, I don't need these fickle, stupid, fat fans on my side. Their sheep, they'll cheer for the guy with the big muscles and the superman act just because he looks cool. I could come out here and pull off the goody two shoes act like Okami but as you see it's not my style. "

" Honor? Respect? Yes, I abandoned those long ago. I figured out early during my training that they have no place in this business. It's ALL about who is number one, and you have to do whatever you can to get there. If ending someone's career is what you have to do? Well it's gets done. "

" Honestly? I don't think they will leave smiling, I think I'll kick your face in again with my shinning wizard and next week I'll sit back and watch you kick that stupid fox's ass. "

[Vesper]

Oh no. Manami-san...I think tonight that it's going to be me who shows you my Shining Wizard up close and personal this time around.

Vesper grins.

I might not be able to teach you a lesson in honor and respect, but what I am going to do is teach you that what goes around comes around. We'll see tonight if you can take what you dish out. The problem for you though is that in my personal opinion...I think I'm going to be a little more than you can handle.

I guess we'll find that out later then. Ta!

She nodded confidently before beginning to make her exit from the ring now. As her theme began to play again, the announcers spoke.

Matt: Vesper looks confident going into this match, but man we saw some kind of viciousness out Manami last week. Buzz, do you think Gold can match that viper-like instinct tonight?

Buzz: Well, from only one match in, we know she's got the skills, but sometimes that's not enough. She seems to think so though, but like she said, we're just gonna have to see for ourselves later.

END