November 6, 2021
9:00 pm
Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan
A cool night among the neon lights of one of the world’s most populous cities. Bright hues glare from nearly every imaginable surface, even in the narrow side streets. This time of night those places are bustling with all kinds of people letting loose after yet another stressful day of conformity. Office workers getting together in an intergender group, making excited small talk suggests a group date. The hum of such conversations, music within establishments and the electricity powering the soul of the neighborhood are the backdrop for a young woman hiding under a plain black umbrella. There’s just a bit of rain, but it’s enough that it isn’t out of the ordinary. She doesn’t really have any set time to arrive at her destination, so she’s taking the long way around to the station.
Ichiko’s been back in Japan for a few days now, and all in all she feels lost. Her body hurts from the last fight she got into overseas. Maybe her last match outside of Japan considering how abruptly this attempt came to an end. What was supposed to be one on one ended up being much more similar to the biker brawls she’s so used to from her teenage years. Attacks coming from every direction, her own weaponry being used against her. The Boss of Them All overwhelmed by numbers and then being overshadowed by a primadonna. Coming home isn’t something she regrets - it was the right decision. These aches she feels when she swerves to avoid the sea of humanity traveling the back streets are a testament to that.
Her mind drifts to a match from her early stint in Queendom Joshi Pro. As the newly signed member of the roster, the then-Sukeban was put up against one of QJPW’s rookies. A kid just barely out of high school with a real cutesy idol look about her. Despite her inexperience she had a lot of buzz and a growing fanbase thanks to her background in a pop idol group. Maybe it was that, maybe Ichiko was just in a bad mood, but she went after the kid extra viciously. Eventually it became clear Ichiko had her outmatched, but the Sukeban prolonged the inevitable. Five extra minutes of her putting the kid through nasty strikes, agonizing holds and the like all just to drive home the point that she was better. By the time she finally locked in an early form of the Agonizer, the kid nearly passed out from the pain. Even after the bell Ichiko had kicked her a few times, then rubbed it in by lifting her head up and whispering a taunt to her.
Violence simply for the sake of violence. The kid really didn’t do anything to provoke the Sukeban’s wrath. All Ichiko did was beat the hell out of her - for fun? To make a point? What point? In the end where had the attitude of simply wanting to fight and cause pain gotten her? Where did it get anyone? Causing pain like that only leads to the destruction of the woman who goes too far down that road. A former biker girl became a woman who didn’t fit into society and ended up dead, face down in a puddle in an alley like this one. Ichiko knows this. She’s been thinking about it for a while now, but turning around and heading the other direction is proving very difficult for her.
It’s a hard change to make when you’re so used to being alone. Even though she knows she needs to change before she burns herself away, Ichiko isn’t able to do this alone. She’s tried that. It doesn’t work. Who’s left to look to though? Ichiko’s betrayed her family’s ways, pushed away the woman who she loved. No one should want to help her after what she’s done. Yet despite it all, flying in the face of her expectations, she’s been offered a hand up. That’s why she’s heading to the station that’s just become visible down the street. It’s time to put her pride on the shelf and embark on the long road back.
At the station she once again has to side step a group of people who’ve just arrived via train. She steps wrong and tweaks a sprain in her right ankle that’s been added to her list of injuries. Perhaps she should just have a seat and rest it? No, she tells herself, that’s not an option. The person waiting for her has been kind enough to open the door to her again, so the least Ichiko can do is push through the pain and get up that staircase. So she grits her teeth and moves up them, one step at a time, one sharp pain at a time. Finally she arrives at the top, her whole leg in agony as she looks around the station interior.
There, sitting by a cafe near the ticket gate, is an older woman in a very sensible business casual outfit. Her blouse and slacks clash with Ichiko’s jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket. Yet they know each other intimately - they’re of the same blood. This is Akane Nishi, mother of two daughters who followed her into the business of professional wrestling. One of them was Ichiko Nishi, the girl who’d become the Boss of Them All. The woman who now hobbled over to meet her mother at the table. Despite her long rebellious attitude, Ichiko bows in greeting to her mother. Akane Nishi bows in return but continues to wear a stern look on her face.
<“So you came,”> Akane speaks after a long silence.
Ichiko nods, <“There’s nowhere else to go. Are you sure about this?”>
Akane chuckles a little, <”I should ask you the same question. I was surprised that you agreed to meet me.”>
Ichiko looks down at the table, contemplating the situation. She and her mom haven’t spoken much in the last two years. Finally, Ichiko replies, <”I can’t do this alone. I can’t change on my own.. So here I am.”>
Akane’s face goes serious again, <”This is going to be hard, Ichi.”>
<”I know. I’m going to do it, though. I have to change who I am. I have to be a better person, mom,”> Ichiko says, looking up at last. She insists, <”I’ll do whatever it takes. If you want me to be a proper smiley, happy Nishi girl again, I’ll do it.”>
A laugh resounds from behind her. Ichiko spins around, causing some pain to flare up in her ribs and sees her sister Mako standing there. Since she’s a model as well as a wrestler, Mako always dresses fashionably. Ichiko’s a bit jealous of her to be honest.
<”That would be funny to see, but I don’t think you need to go that far, sis,”> Mako tells her as she occupies the third and final seat at the table.
Akane looks Ichiko dead in the eyes as she adds, <”But you will have to go through hell to get where you want to be. Can you do that?”>
Ichiko nods with grim determination, <”Of course… I’m determined to change, mom. Being the violent outlaw’s killing me. To change who I am, I’ll do whatever it takes.”>
Akane nods to Mako, <”Then allow me to introduce you to your new coach.”>
<”I look forward to it, sis,”> Mako remarks, a look on her face promising this will be the hardest training of Ichiko’s career. She asks, <”You ready to be at the dojo bright and early? We’ve got a lot of work to do.”>
Ichiko can only imagine what Mako has in mind, considering how intense her own workouts typically are. Despite the pain wracking her body, Ichiko leans over the table and smiles through it, <”I’ll be there.”>
