Chloe Mason vs. Kaede Komatsuzaki – II: Bred for the Hunt

This was starting to get a little too familiar, in all the wrong ways, and it wasn’t just to her last match with Chloe, either. The best thing about working with the Dire Pack was that it gave her six fresh eyes to look at her past matches, a way to get experienced positions on the few things she’d done right and the many things she’d done wrong. That was a long list, an irritating list, and at the top of it was something she was suffering from now.

The noise. She could get too lost in the moment, too far gone, and just...lose herself. Lose concentration. Lose everything. Sheer panic. It was one of her biggest enemies, and it was rearing its ugly head in this match already.

The exact last thing she needed when Chloe Mason was hunting her down, giving her so little time to breathe. She was in close, too close, in fact - way too close, in fact. This was really more of Kaede’s range, not good for kicking, and the way she was bending forward just begged for an attack. She didn’t know what the woman was trying, but she realized she had to put a stop to it. She brought her arm up, looking to drop the hammer down on her skull, when, out of nowhere…

Bam. Hello again, Chloe’s foot.

It struck her square in the center of her face and brought her down to her hands and knees, leaving her in a daze just as bad as the funk she was in a moment ago. What made it even worse was that this position was all too familiar - fighting off the deja vu was almost as hard as dealing with the pain.

This is why Chloe loved that kick.

Many years of stepping into the ring and she just couldn't get enough of it. Most others can certainly be enjoyable in their own rights and quite honestly, she'd have trouble making a top ten list. But if there was to be a number one, it had to be this.

Given that it's a rare sight to see one, especially when there's few situations that allow you to use it, brings the intrigue even more. It's not something she's throw out every time, used better when the American got up close and personal. The sheer shock in their faces, mixed in with the false sense of security that she can't kick you in this range.

And then there's the impact. Oh god, that satisfying impact.

It was perfect, the way she'd struck past whatever kind of guard the pinkette had, hitting right where she wanted. It was that sweet spot that made it for the ex-commissioner. If only she could put it in a bottle and make a perfume out if it.

Kaede learnt the hard way that even in this range, Chloe was still dangerous, her toes near eye poking the cub. She couldn't see the initial reaction, but Chloe heard the cry of pain before her gaze caught the pinkette falling on all fours. Chloe held the pose for a moment before bringing that leg down, standing tall over Kaede. Haughty smirk and all. An all too familiar sight from the last time they met, and Kaede would have gotten right up and close look of those lacquered nails. That is, if she can.

"Well? I'm still waiting." Chloe couldn't help letting the taunts fly. Especially a lone sole that swiped at Kaede's cheek before that same foot is placed underneath the chin. "So many opportunities, so much that is promised...only to not live up to them. Even the wolves can't make you better. How pathetic." That foot would tilt Kaede's head up, leading the pink cub to sit up straight and then hopefully stand up straight. Chloe's flexible leg allowed her the grace to do so, bringing her up with just a single foot.

"I think I've seen enough. I'll do you a favor and make this quick." Chloe's cruel grin could be seen etched on her ruby lips as the blonde would then spin her whole body round with such velocity. Her leg comes trailing in the air, seeking to drill that heel right at the side of Kaede's head. Quick and efficient, right on the temple. She deserves that much.

Oh, god, she’d forgotten how much this woman loved the sound of her own voice. In one way, it was good, because every second she talked was a second she wasn’t kicking Kaede’s head off, but damn.

She supposed she should’ve just learned to take the small blessings where she could. They were definitely in short supply now, as she reeled from that last kick, whatever kind of attack it was. It was crazy that Chloe could not only pull off a move like that, but make it hurt so much, make it so effective. She knew the skill gap between them was still a chasm, but she hadn’t figured it was so big that she couldn’t even see the other side.

Still stunned, she followed along as Kaede lift her head up - with her foot, of course. Still in control, still dominating with that confident look on her face, still acting like she didn't have a thing to world...and maybe she didn’t. Kaede was doing her best, but gaining ground on this woman was beyond challenging, and she was running out of ideas too early. If she only had a little time to compose herself, think, to just…

To see. To stop thinking. To feel.

Chloe’s stance wasn’t random. Nothing she did was random. Kicking required a certain kind of position, especially if you were going to do it well and not fall on your ass. The way she stood, the way she was balanced, the way she turned, it told Kaede what she needed to know - what was coming her way, how bad it would be if it hit, and what she needed to do about it.

She ducked. Not much, not much at all, dipped down just enough to let the kick whiz by overhead, missing her by a couple of inches. It had enough momentum to carry Chloe quite a bit, she’d need a second to correct, and Kaede wanted to give her something special when she did.

She took a step back, just enough to get into the right range. Plant. Shift. Twist. Fire.

Kaede threw a right cross right into Chloe’s chest.

In the last match, there was a reason for Chloe to bring about total humiliation towards the scrappy pinkette. For one thing, it was her first, and she needed to make a solid impression on those in the locker room. Kaede was just the perfect specimen to bring about that message. While this was by no means a way to set the bar, considering how woeful the pinkette was in the ring, it still brought the blonde much amusement kicking her around the squared circle. Chloe made the most of the opportunity at the time, and there was a reason why it had gone longer than it should.

Here and now, Kaede was in the same position last time, and Chloe stood tall and much older than before. Would she have taken the same opportunity to do it all again?

No.

There were some that Chloe could say she could dominate as many times as she wanted. Kaede was not one of them. The opportunity was given to the young pink cub to show she was better than before. As it is right now, the ex-commissioner has gotten bored. Some things have changed, but otherwise, things are just as standard. Course, there was some new stuff that Chloe hasn’t seen from Kaede, like the flying headbutt, but there was such a lack of focus and polish that really resembled the past version. Then again, Chloe didn’t think the Dire Pack were much for focus and polish, but the group’s beguiling mix of savagery and skill has brought them much success.

Plus, this is a standard match and not a humiliation match, so…

Right where Chloe has managed to get Kaede up to her feet, she set about to wrap this up in a nice little bow. It was small mercy for the pinkette, quick, clean, wouldn’t feel much…apart from a massive headache afterwards.

That was until Chloe saw that body drop down. Missing by just an inch, she assumed that the scorpion kick knocked her so silly that her knees buckled. Which would have been frustrating in itself. What followed afterwards was something much worse and something that Chloe had never conceived to think of.

Kaede landed an actual hit on Chloe. An honest, powerful, clean blow. Right on the chest. One that sent Chloe stumbling back since the other leg didn’t reach the floor in time. One that had Chloe clutching her chest with her arms and visibly wincing in pain.

Crazy to think. But it actually happened.

There was something about landing a good punch that Kaede had learned to love. She hadn't always felt it, never really knew to look for it until she started hanging with the Dire Pack and had to work on refining them, but these days she could absolutely feel it. The feedback of a blow traveling through her body, the way it moved from her legs through her torso to her arms and then came all the way back. It was a satisfying feeling, one she struggled to put into words at times, and landing it on Chloe Mason was the greatest bliss she could’ve asked for.

Everything was perfect. The target. The blow itself. The impact. The look on Chloe’s face. The audience, who had been watching with either indifference or anticipation of another dismantling, now watching with shocked surprise, stunned into silence. The effect was immediate, with her opponent reeling and clutching her chest like she’d just taken a cannonball. She couldn’t have asked for more.

Except she was going to ask for more. She wanted to win this match, and as much as she also wanted to jump for joy at this small achievement, she knew there wasn’t a second to waste. The blonde wasn’t exactly a tank, but she was stronger, than most would’ve guessed at a glance. What to go for, though?

With her reeling and clutching her chest, she wasn’t protecting her head. That was a mistake, and one Kaede wanted to use. Chloe seemed to put a lot of effort into her looks - great hair, nice and shiny, all that makeup on the face. Made for the perfect target.

She reached up, grabbed two handfuls of her opponent’s hair, and yanked her down hard, bringing her face in range to be struck by her rising knee, square on the nose.

Funny to think that this was the first time Chloe got hit by Kaede. An actual one, in fact.

It was a fact that certainly wouldn’t be so great in the eyes of the pink cub, considering the many times Chloe’s foot found her face and body without fail. Mind you, the first haymaker certainly wasn’t going to make a boxer impressed, but it certainly would have done some damage had it landed clean. But it was easy to catch, and Chloe dumped Kaede on her ass for it. Truth be told, Kaede hadn’t landed a real hit on Chloe, one that would have the blonde reeling afterwards.

So with that punch to the chest still fresh on her mind, Chloe couldn’t tell if that punch carried the same amount of power from their last meeting or if she had gotten better. It had a satisfactory level of technique on it; however, it came when Chloe wasn’t expecting it. A devastating blow, Chloe would begrudgingly admit. At least not verbally.

Now, Chloe is the one in trouble, something that hasn’t been seen in a long time. Heck, even ever from someone like Kaede. And it was apparent that Kaede was going to run with the chance soon as it’s appeared to her. Oh boy, did she make that painfully obvious.

A knee right into the nose, and Chloe swore she felt something crunched. The pinkette’s strike landed as the ex-commissioner was not putting up a guard, but even that wouldn’t do much with how Kaede knocked the wind out of her. Chloe was stunned, honestly and her hair snapped back as she fell onto one knee, clutching her face with one of her hand. If she wasn’t so focused on how her nose might be bleeding right now, Chloe would be so disgusted in herself that she was kneeling in front of Kaede of all people. That one Chloe beat so easily and soundly before.

But that was then, not now. And Kaede was a different beast entirely.

There it was again, that sensation. It had been a while since she’d really tasted it, and the last time it wasn’t even in a real match. But it was a clear sensation, this exhilarating energy that shot through her body. A rush, a high that swept through her body and got her blood racing. Her nerves were sharp, focus was setting in, hairs were standing up.

This was what it felt like to be winning. So many wrestlers took it for granted, but for her, it was like hitting a new drug and going hard on it the first time. When that knee sunk into the center of face, it was like a bolt of lightning to the brain, and she wanted to just live in this moment, have it for herself before everything went to shit.’

No. No, she couldn’t think like that, wouldn’t think like that. Focus on the fight, nothing else.

Kaede had her opening, but it wouldn’t mean much if she didn’t do something right now. It was tempting to just keep throwing knees in her face, but she doubted that was a good idea. She wasn’t going to win a striking war against a woman like this, and trying would only end in her humiliation. She needed to bring it to the mats, where those kicks Chloe was famous for wouldn’t do her much good, where she could lock in a hold.

As Chloe fell back and kneeled, Kaede leaped back, making some space between them. She had half a second to enjoy the sight before her, then went right into action, closing the gap with quick steps. She planted one foot on her opponent’s knee, leap up, and grabbed the hand that was clutching her foe’s face as she fell to the side. She hit the ground and used her momentum to pull Chloe along between her legs, shooting one around her head and the other along her shoulder.

Kaede was going for a triangle choke. She clasped her ankles and locked it in tight, squeezing with all she had.

Was this copper that she was smelling?

Chloe couldn’t tell, but what she could is that the nose wasn’t broken at the very least. The last thing she needed was to have her supermodel-esque looks being disfigured, especially by Kaede of all people. Chloe loathed to be in this position, but it wasn’t as if Kaede had cheated or pulled a fast one on her. The young cub simply caught her at the right time, and now Chloe was paying the price for it.

Though it was a mercy not to hear that voice rubbing it in. That would have put salt on the wounds because no matter what, it would make Chloe think that she’s losing to someone like her. Despite Kaede coming out changed by the result of the Dire Pack, there was still much that reminded me of the old Kaede. The brat that was way too over her head. The brat that couldn’t put her money where her mouth is. Chloe held herself to a higher standard, not even considering the thought of kneeling in front of that damn pinkette.

But Kaede was better than that. Much better from the looks of it. Before Chloe even knew what it was that planted on her knee, a hand would be peeled off her face. It was a quick motion; it didn’t waste any movement whatsoever, just simply trapping Chloe’s head and an arm between the slim legs of Kaede.

Immediately Chloe felt the pressure constricting her breathing even more so, compounding the pain near her solar plexus not long ago. She gritted her teeth, eyes shut tightly as she laid caught in the triangle choke. A free hand would grip one leg of Kaede, gripping it tightly, her nails digging into the flesh. She felt more of the precious oxygen becoming more harder to obtain, the hold sapping at her strength. The ex-commissioner didn’t dare to look at Kaede, but she could probably guess as to how it looked right now. The mental picture was enough.

Her legs scrambled initially before they’d slowly work to get her knees under her. She only had precious seconds to act; otherwise, this would be the most shocking loss to date. A blow to Chloe’s pride she could not have.

Don’t think.

Don’t think about what Chloe will do if she gets out of this, how she’ll wreck your shit if you mess up the best chance you’ve had, maybe anyone’s, in taking her on.

Don’t think about the others watching you, how they’ll feel to see you get the leg up on the woman that no one thought you could last five minutes again, if they’ll be proud of you or not.

Don’t even think about how damn good it feels to have this bitch between your legs, gasping for breath and clawing at your legs, looking every bit as pathetic as you did the last time you fought and she footfucked you in front of millions.

Don’t think about any of that. Just clenched the hold, lock it in, squeeze. Knock. Her. Out.

Kaede did her best to cut out all the static in her brain at the moment and focus on important things, the only important things. It was hard to believe she’d gotten this chance against Chloe, but here she was, running away with the match. Even the crowd was getting behind her a bit, cheering her way and throwing out some sporadic chants. It was almost unthinkable, but she was doing it. At the rate things were going, Chloe Mason was about to go to sleep. Between another woman’s legs, too, for that extra drop of irony.

It seemed like Chloe realized that, too, because she was not about letting that happen at all. She was fighting, pushing up to her knees, even as the lights started to fade. Kaede didn’t know what the blonde’s escape plan was, and she didn’t give a single shit. It wasn’t going to happen, whatever it was, and to help ensure that she gripped the arm tight under her shoulder and threw out punches with her free hand, battering her straight in the middle of her face.

”Go!” One. ”To!” Two. ”Sleep!” Three, and she added a silent forth for good measure.

Just like Kaede did, Chloe focused on what was important. Which, in this case, getting out of this damn choke.

Every second passing while she’s within the triangle, was prolonged suffering. Not just the fact her neck is getting crushed, and her windpipe was shut off of air, but the fact that she was put in to hold by someone Chloe had thoroughly beaten years. Easy as it was to dwell on that fact, pressing matters had her mind attentive and concentrating on the primary goal. Kaede was not the same person as she was before. Heck, Chloe wouldn’t have expected a triangle choke out of that brat. But it showed how far she had come, loathed as the blonde was to admit it.

The only good thing was that she didn’t get any taunting out of Kaede. Good in a way that she didn’t have to hear such insufferable droll. But bad in the fact that Kaede was proving to be better and more focused on securing the win.

That part was shown soon as Kaede noticed the blonde starting to push to her knees. Time was of the essence, and Chloe couldn’t waste a precious second. The choke itself was bad enough. The punches added onto it made it worse. For a brief moment, Chloe halted her efforts, only stopping on one knee; her other hand couldn’t really stop the barrage coming at her face. Chloe blinked at the first punch. Then the second one struck her nose, and her eyes shut hard from the pain. Her face scrunching tight as she smelled more than copper, feeling something was cut the moment Kaede’s knuckles met her skin. For a moment, it seemed as if the impossible was about to be made possible. The unthinkable happening before the crowd’s very eyes. The anticipation of it all was more incredible than many would have ever imagined, waiting with bated breath for the exact moment Chloe went to sleep.

What they did get was a single leg swinging up in the air before a heel dropped down with great force, aiming directly at the mouth of the pink cub.