From a momentary lock with her opponent, Kate breaks the lock and backs to the ring post of the ring. She takes a moment to glance at Kristine who is sitting ringside calmly smoking her cigarette while barely watching the match she had set Kate up in. It was if she wasn't even interested in watching Kate wrestle the behemoth who was now in the middle of the ring looking intently at her.

"Come on, you little twat." The man opposite her said. He was an absolute giant. Kate guessed at least six feet five and well over 250 pounds with not a shred of fat on his body. He was all muscle and he knew how to use it. He was a brawler, the type Kate hated to wrestle.

Without warning, the big man came charging at her. If Kate didn't move he would crush the life out of her by smashing her against the turnbuckle. Every fiber of her being, the instinct of self-preservation, said to dodge to the side. If she was lucky the big man would hurt himself by running into the turnbuckle. No. Running was not her style. She'd try to drop him with a toehold, hopefully, his head would collide with one of the three turnbuckles. but if he got lucky, he'd hit none, but Kate would still have him where she wanted him, on the mat.

Kate stepped to the side seconds before the big man would have hit her and she used her foot and shin to cause him to fall. She watched as the big man fell and hit his head on the lowest turnbuckle. He collapsed on the mat, dazed. Kate contemplated a Camel clutch, but her opponent was only dazed, he might still have the presence of mind to grab the ropes and end her hold. She gripped his ankles with bot hands and began to slide him towards the center of the ring. He was heavy. But no matter, the match was in her favor now. Once she got him into position... it was going to be over.

She glanced at Kristine, her manager, who was lighting a new cigarette. She never watched Kate wrestle. But even after the match, she could talk about the match as if she watched the whole thing multiple times. It was strange. Kate wondered if she'd ever really understand how Kristine did what she did. Kristine claimed to be a sort of god incarnate on Earth. Which was of course ridiculous. But then again Kristine did inexplicable things. Kate wasn't sure what to make of it.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kristine glaring at her as if she was saying, "Now is not the time. focus up, bitch." Kate looked at the big man. He was coming to. If he worked his way out of the daze then Kate would lose her advantage. She had to keep him out.

"You like brawling big man?" Kate asked with sarcasm and then punched him twice with rapid short strikes. Once in the chin and again in the temple. If she was lucky the big man would be out for a while, giving her time to finish him off and pin him. Though, he was big and his neck muscles may have prevented her from knocking him out with the punch. She watched his eyes flutter, he was not knocked out. But he likely needed the breather. She'd let him breathe a minute before she dropped an ariel move on him. She positioned his body perpendicular to the turnbuckle and she climbed it. As she climber she faced him to ensure he didn't move out of the way and at the top she stood and turned her back to him.

Moonsault!

After her body landed on his, she gasped for a moment. She needed to work on her technique, she knocked the wind out of herself, instead of him. But either way
he took some damage at least. She forced a deep breath and stood up. Kate grabbed the big man by the hair and pulled him up. She then hook one of the big man's arms while turning her back to him and then hooked the other arm. His head was benneath her ass now. It was time.

Dreamland!

She felt a jolt up her spine as the big man's face collided into the mat sandwiched between her and the mat. If he wasn't out by now, he was now.

She rolled on him, hooked the leg and went for the pin.

She listened with anticipation as the ref counted. She watched Kristine who was dragging on her cigarette. In three seconds the pinfall was made and the bell sounded. She stood up arms raised in a V. Kristine was now looking right at her smiling. As Kristine stood up she exhaled a plume of smoke and approached the ring.

"Congrats, Kate." She said as she approached her, the cigarette still burning between her fingers. "You've defeated Big Man Bernie."

"That's his name? Big Man Bernie?" Kate replied.

"Indeed. We should make our exit quickly." Kristine continued. "He's not going to be pleased when he comes to."

----

They sat in a limozine now, the passanger area filled with cigarette smoke slowly exiting through the partially opened window.

"Big Man Bernie?" Kate started.

"Yes." Kristine replied. "One of the toughest wrestlers in the indie circuit. He likes to brawl. He's big and heavy. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to defeat him. But you performed marvelously."

"It wasn't easy." Kate replied. "When I did the Dreamland, I felt a shock in my back. I think it might be my spine."

"It is. But we'll deal with that later. In the meantime you've got a match this Saturday."

"I do!?" Kate exclaimed. "What happened to training month?"

"your match IS training." Kristine said as she pushed the smouldering cigarette butt out the window. "If you're gone from Shove it too long the fans will quickly forget about you and we can't have that, can we?"

"No I guess not. Who am I up against?"

"I'm not sure, I booked you a bit late, so they're looking for a way to fit you in. But I'm told it should be no problem."

"Either way, I've been training pretty hard. So I think I'm ready for whatever."

"Don't get cocky."

"I'm not cocky, I'm ready."

"Good." Kristine said as she lit another cigarette. They would arrive at the Dallas airport soon and fly out to St. Louis for the match on Saturday and Kate obviously felt ready for whatever the XWF had ready for her. Kristine was not so sure, Kate had been lucky in her past matches, barely squeaking out wins. She was due for a loss and Kristine was worried that when it happened Kate wouldn't be able to handle it. But they'd cross that bridge when it came.