Venus Time

[Utami]

We find ourselves right at ringside in the INTRUST Bank Arena just a few hours before the opening bell of Warfare. Save for the absence of fans, you’d expect the show to start at any moment. There’s even talent in the ring that’s likely been set up just a few minutes before. Mina Shirakawa, the Venus of Oedo Tai, isn’t her usual glamorous self and has opted for black and pink workout gear. Himeka’s got an oversized Oedo Tai shirt over her own gym wear. While the Jumbo Princess takes a long swig from a water bottle, Mina runs through a drill at full force.

Himeka: Hey, Mina-

Mina doesn’t seem to hear her as she rolls through to the corner just over Himeka’s shoulder. The Jumbo Princess looks over her shoulder lazily to try and get her partner’s attention.

Himeka: Mina!

Mina vaults upwards, nearly flying over the top rope to the apron before stopping just short. With a smirk, she gingerly takes a seat on the top turnbuckle as if posing for a photo shoot.

Mina Shirakawa: Yes? What is it? Don’t you remember what we agreed on? Oedo Tai goes at its own pace, wherever we want.

Himeka gestures to the camera.

Himeka: We’re live.

Mina chuckles as she realizes they’re not alone, though her reaction is almost *too* nonchalant.

Mina Shirakawa: Oh good. They’re even on time! Fantastic! I’m glad to see we’re being treated with the respect and urgency we deserve. Now they could be off getting an exclusive with the EBWF Women’s Champion - who still doesn’t have a challenger for Last Survivor, by the way - or yet another Chris Jericho special that amounts to nothing. But they’re here, at ringside, because they know the truth - Oedo Tai still runs this joint, even without the Final Boss.
She motions to the ring she’ll soon be competing in.

Mina Shirakawa: When we decide that something’s going to happen, it happens. That’s the difference, it’s ‘we’ instead of ‘Tam’. Himeka and I are on the same page, we’re not the supporting cast for anyone, and either one of us can hold our own against the supposed ‘best’ this industry has to offer. Even then, everyone left us for dead. The final two members of a unit that died back home after getting over bloated. Two women who’ve been here for two years, always in the background.

She yawns as she recounts it all, drawing a stifled laugh from Himeka.

Mina Shirakawa: Come on, Himeka, you know that’s what everyone’s been thinking about us. About me too!

Himeka: Sure, but it’s still funny. They’ll keep thinking that no matter what the two of us do.

Mina actually laughs at this.

Mina Shirakawa: Yeah, you’re probably right. Since we became the last two members of Oedo Tai, what have we done? We faced two of the most hyped women in the world, divided them and conquered them. I pinned the supposed ‘top joshi wrestler’ in the middle of the ring. We ruined Britt Baker’s moment with hard truth and it took hell freezing over for us to not get what we wanted. And still? Everyone looks at us and thinks we’re defanged and defenseless.

She toys with a strand of hair.

Mina Shirakawa: Tonight I’m up, with a golden opportunity to turn the whole world on its head and no one believing I can do it. I mean, look who I’m sharing this ring with! Two of EBWF’s most ‘dangerous’ women who can’t wait to tear each other apart.

Mina playfully parts her hair into pigtails and mugs psychotically for the camera.

MIna Shirakawa: God, Alexa Bliss’ style isn’t much more mature than Tam’s is it? I know she’s tiny, but dressing like an actual little girl seems like a cry for help doesn’t it? Sure, she’s not doing it right now, but you never know when she might just snap; and really, doesn’t she complain enough about not getting her way to sound just like a child?

She lets her hair loose and shrugs.

MIna Shirakawa: Oh, I get why she’s so well regarded. We’ve seen up close and personal just how much damage the girl can take and still keep going. She comes back from injuries that would permanently alter someone else’s life like it’s nothing and uses the anger from those setbacks to fuel her increasingly violent outbursts. Is it that? Or is she just pissed that she hasn’t been able to seal the deal when it matters in years? Either way, she’s decided to take it out on our former teammates, Jamie Hayter and Rhea Ripley. I have to wonder how much of her attention’s going to be on me when the only thing she cares about is murdering Jamie. She does tend to get a one track mind, and when that track’s revenge? All her five feet of fury’s directed at one woman, a woman with the raw power to re-break every bone Alexa’s ever busted.

Mina rolls her eyes at the very thought of EBWF’s ‘lord and savior’.

Mina Shirakawa: Jamie, Jamie, Jamie. We had some great times, didn’t we? When you stood at our side, Oedo Tai was the most feared faction in professional wrestling. Our enemies always had to look over both shoulders, because you’d be there to snap them in half if we didn’t cave their pretty face in first. You always talked about how much it meant for you to be in Oedo Tai, and for a while we believed you. Of course, the moment things got tough and Tam wasn’t around to enforce your loyalty? Well -

She shrugs it off.

Mina Shirakawa: Instead of staying loyal? Instead of joining us as we made decisions for ourselves? You ran home to Mami.

Mina swings her legs over the top rope so she’s directly facing the camera.

Mina Shirakawa: Does she make it easier for you? She does seem like the type who’d take control and tell a lost soul what to do, if I’m being generous. It doesn’t really matter, because you’ve been so caught up with your personal vendettas that I’m not sure you’ll even realize the trouble you’re in. Honestly? That might be for the best, though. It means you won’t even notice until too late that you’ve failed to finish the job again. You started some shit with Britt, but instead of challenging her for the title you’re here with Alexa and me. No title shot, just a clusterf-.. A mess of your own making. You didn’t get the shot that was there for the taking, and you haven’t put the Rebellious Angels on the shelf like we used to. You call yourself the Lord and Savior. I call you a Joke and Failure.

There’s a stone cold viciousness to her tone.

Mina Shirakawa: You’ve hit so many hornets’ nests that you can’t focus on any one fight, even if you could seal the deal. When the bell rings, you’re going to have your hands full with Alexa. Maybe Liv too, since they seem to get high off of running in on peoples’ matches these days. Your attention’s going to be so divided you don’t even that I’ve been chopping away at your trunk until you collapse under the weight of your own ego. Well, and when you’re barely able to stand once I’ve found new and interesting ways to shatter your vertical base. It’s nothing personal, really - in the end it comes down to the facts. You and Alexa are in my way. And to get what I want, I have to seize the chaos of this triple threat and cut you both down. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

She slides off the turnbuckle onto the ring apron and smiles.

Mina Shirakawa: And what I want is to take my place at the top. I want to have the spotlight on me, on Oedo Tai, and no one else! That might involve our lovely in house dentist later, but tonight? It means going through both of you to secure the spot that’s rightfully mine in the most watched and unpredictable match in our sport. I’ll let you all in on a little secret. A spoiler for Last Survivor. After I win tonight, I’ll get my choice of number.. And I’m going to enter-

Mina holds up a hand with a single finger held to the skies.

Mina Shirakawa: First. Because no one is above Mina Shirakawa. The best way to seize the world’s attention and put myself and Oedo Tai on the map is to put on a performance that’s never been seen before and will never be equaled. Entering first, outlasting the best locker room in wrestling and punching my ticket to Fallout after going the distance? That sounds very, very nice. But to get that, I have to shatter the goddess and drag the Lord and Savior down to earth.

Her smile widens.

Mina Shirakawa: This is my chance, ladies. Unlike you, I’m not letting it slip through my fingers.