Now...
‘Not exactly high on my list of “Places I thought I would die at." Especially at the hands of a couple of Katanna toting scumbags. Yakuza? Why would the Yakuza be after me? I haven’t done anything to warrant their attention since I arrived in Japan a month ago!’
Strands of loose jet-black hair cling to her glistening forehead, a sweat created by avoiding her attackers blows. Her chocolate irises scan both men of Japanese nationality dressed in finely tailored black suits, their sunglasses hiding any intent in their eyes. Both men appearing to be a few inches taller than her at five nine. She looks down at her, now ruined, blue blouse, sporting a slash mark.
‘Fuckers are going to pay for my shirt. You can count on that. Think, Victoria. What would Matt do?’
The woman addressing herself as Victoria begins to examine her surroundings, her eyes settling on an area of interest. A smile crosses her ruby lips.
‘Bingo.’
Then...
“I’m sorry? You’ll have to repeat that for me one more time as I could have sworn you just told me that all flights out of Japan have been suspended indefinitely.”
Victoria Paulson speaks aloud as she paces her hotel room with cell in hand.
“I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Vicki, but Japan just announced their travel ban this evening...well...morning for you, evening for us in the states.”
Victoria stops her pacing and reaches for the remote control to the television, turning it on, and seeing that the Blovid-13 pandemic had caused the country to close its borders to travel.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me...”
Victoria sighs, hanging her head low as she falls backward onto her bed before staring up at the ceiling in disbelief.
‘I can’t believe this... I came here because I desperately needed a vacation. Not just any vacation either, my dream vacation. I came to Japan to see some of the beautiful, historical landmarks. Shop my little heart out for my various otaku needs, but now... Now, I’m stranded with no hope of getting home anytime soon. Oh god... I have limited funds! I don’t know what I’m going to do for money. I don’t think I can do my actual job in this country. Can I? I’ll need to check into that, but in the meantime, I need to think of something else, but...’
“Vicki? Victoria? Are you still there?”
The voice emanating from her cell calls Victoria’s attention back to her present surroundings.
“I’m still here...”
Victoria rests her free arm across fer face, shielding herself as she fights back tears. The male voice on the other end of the phone call takes on a reassuring tone.
“Listen, Victoria, I’m at the lab right now. My mother is having a big meeting with members of the medical and pharmaceutical side of the company to see what can be done to create a vaccine. Our company is one of ones chosen with undertaking developing a vaccine by the government, so it’s pretty much all hands-on deck here. Even though my division focuses mainly on the more scientific side of things as opposed to medical, we will be doing whatever we are able in order to put an end to this sooner rather than later; paving the way for you to make your way home.”
Victoria listens intently to her friend and mentor: Dr. Matthew Thomas nee Detective Matt Thomas nee “Lionheart” Matt Thomas. Suffice to say, her mentor has been a man of many hats. She sighs upon hearing that there may be no fast way to get to her home in the short term.
“So, I’m REALLY stuck then, aren’t I?”
Victoria tries not to let her frustration come through but knowing that she is S.O.L. until something helps stop the pandemic, it’s difficult to mask.
“Unfortunately, Victoria. To that point, sure, do some checking to see if there is anything you can do to make a buck using your profession, but until then, I suggest an alternative plan.”
Upon hearing Matt’s suggestion, Victoria perks up, intrigued at the potentially helpful suggestion Matt may have for her. Victoria sits up on her bed as she releases a deep breath.
“I’m all ears, Matt. If you know some way I can make some money while I’m stuck here, please tell me.”
“Wrestling.”
Victoria’s eyes widen with a mixture of confusion and amusement as her jaw goes slightly slack.
“I beg your Pardon?”
She hears an amused chuckle on the other end of the phone as Matt speaks to her.
“I’m suggesting you find a wrestling company in Japan and wrestle for them.”
Victoria clenches her teeth together in a sign of discomfort.
“Me? Wrestle? I don’t know, Matt...”
“Come on, Vicki, we didn’t spend all those months of me taking you under my wing for you to waste one of the skills I taught you.”
Victoria begins to think back to two years ago, just having recently graduated college, and out on her own.
‘It’s been two years since I tried my hand at actual law enforcement, finding that I disliked working THAT much in the system. It was when I remembered one of my favorite wrestlers used to be an NYPD detective, which being from Boston, I can forgive the New York part. I sought Matt out, finding him living in Manhattan with his wife and daughter. He was reluctant to teach me some of his methodology when it comes to detective work, but he understood and related to where I was at in wanting to seek justice but not work too closely in the system. So, for a year, he taught me what he knew. Not only that, but he also taught me how to wrestle. He said that just because they are wrestling moves, doesn't mean they couldn’t come in handy in real life situations. I was certainly apprehensive at first. Not from learning about criminology from Matt but wrestling. He... Having lost his leg, I didn’t know if he would be able to, but he quickly put me in my place. There is something to say about facing a one-legged man in an ass-kicking contest. He provided a room for me in the gym his wife Joey and he owned in Manhattan to stay at while I learned. After that year, I moved back home to Boston, but we still stayed in touch. If ever I had a question on a case I was working on, he would help provide a different perspective to look at things. Since he retired, he has been working at the laboratory his mother founded, going so far as parlaying a chemistry degree all the way to a doctorate. He’s now co-chair with his mom at the company, but he continues to stay busy with lab work when not helping me.’
Victoria smiles, having reminisced about the past two years, and sighs.
“No, Matt, we didn’t. I suppose I can shift gears slightly and give wrestling a try. I’ll look into seeing what companies are hiring at the present that will be willing to take on a total rookie from America.”
Victoria hears Matt let out a slight laugh, hearing murmurs in the background.
“That’s the spirit! Look, we’re getting ready to have a meeting over here before some of us take off for the evening for a rest. When I have a moment, I will look into some places over there and check back with you. Conversely, if you find something out sooner, let me know.”
“I’ll do that, Matt. Thanks for helping me out and... good luck in trying to save the country, if not the world as a whole.”
“Ha. It’ll work out, Vicki, trust me. It’ll take some time, but we’ll get the world sorted again. Just focus on what you have going, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“Okay. Bye, Matt.”
“Bye, Gumshoe.”
With that, the other line goes dead.
‘Gumshoe...’
Victoria smiles to herself.
‘I still remember when he gave me that nickname. It was after competing against each other to see who could beat Carmen Sandiego the fastest. Luckily for me, I was a few seconds quicker. Though, in Matt’s defense, he was distracted by a two-year-old wanting the attention of her father.’
Victoria begins to feel wistful, thinking back to her time with Matt and his family.
‘Geez, Eva has to be four by now. I still see pics of her every now and then, but still, I miss that little munchkin. I loved snarking off with Joey and sharing laughs as we had drinks. His mom being the quintessential mom as if I were one of her own kids. I never did get to meet his sister while there, but...’
Victoria’s brow furrows with concern.
‘Matt wasn’t quite clear what happened with his sister Reiko, but from what I have heard from Joey, Reiko disappeared one day, leaving a note saying she was going to “find herself.” He’s still trying to find her. Wait a second...’
Realization dawns on Victoria as she puts her glasses on while walking over to the bathroom mirror.
‘...maybe that’s something I could try to do while I’m here. Matt seems to think she came back to Japan, but all of his sources haven’t been able to track her down. Well...’
Victoria smirks as she assesses herself in the mirror. Her makeup looked okay, nothing heavy. Just some foundation, a little blush, eyeliner, a light application of eyeshadow, and flesh-colored lipstick to look halfway decent as she prepares to head out to find a job. Victoria puts her lengthy shoulder length ebony tresses in a mid-height ponytail looking over her outfit. The blue jeans are a little informal, but then again, she isn’t applying at a formal place necessarily. The navy button up blouse she is sporting seemed appropriate at least, sleeves rolled up just past her elbows. After one final glance, Victoria is satisfied with her outfit. She walks back towards the entryway to the hotel room. Victoria rolls her sleeves back down before putting on a black blazer that fit just right to her. Rolling her blouse sleeves back up to the start of her Blazer’s sleeves, Victoria spies her brown ankle boots, which she puts onto her bare feet. Reaching into her blazer pocket, Victoria pulls out a mask, donning it to cover the lower part of her face as she walks out the door.
****
‘Well...this sucks...’
Victoria says to herself as she walks out of an office building, looking dejected.
‘This was... what? Number five? I don’t think there are many more companies left for me to apply at, is there?’
As Victoria rounds a corner, a woman of japanese descent calls to her.
“Ms. Paulson! Please wait!”
Victoria stops in mid-stride, turning around towards the source of the voice. Before Victoria stands a woman, approximately the same age as Victoria. Her light chestnut colored hair curled slightly on both sides of her head. Victoria tried her best to ascertain if the woman is an employee or a passerby judging by the black business dress the woman is wearing. The clicking of the woman’s stilettos begin to slow after seeing that Victoria has stopped.
“Yes? Can I help you with something, Miss…?”
The woman came to a stop before Victoria.
“Kitagawa. Hitomi Kitagawa. It’s actually I that can be of help to you, Ms. Paulson.”
Victoria quirks a curious brow.
“In what way can you be of assistance, Ms. Kitagawa?”
“I understand that you tried to gain employment here, but unfortunately, most Japanese promotions are not hiring due to the pandemic, but I can point you towards a promotion that is currently in the country on tour. I’m sure they are willing to hire you.”
Victoria’s eyes wide with a glimmer of hope.
“Really?! That certainly will be quite helpful. What’s the name of this promotion?”
“Ultimate Wrestling.”
Victoria nods, taking note of the company name.
“Fantastic! I can’t thank you enough, Ms. Kitagawa!”
Hitomi shakes her head with a smile reflecting in her eyes.
“No thanks is required, Ms. Paulson.”
Victoria pauses, looking at Hitomi with confusion.
“Wait. Again, I appreciate the advice, but what could you gain from helping me? This doesn’t help your company.”
Hitomi waves her hands in front of her as she shakes her head.
“Oh. I don’t work here, Ms. Paulson. I’m actually an agent. I have clients at many different promotions in this country, but…”
Hitomi reaches into her purse and pulls out a business card. She bows slightly as she hands Victoria the card. Victoria takes the card and reads Hitomi’s name on the card, along with her job title and contact information.
“…I would be interested in representing you during your time in my country. I would hate to see something befall a woman my age who doesn’t have a contact to turn to in a strange land.”
Victoria nods as she places the card in her jean pocket.
“I suppose that makes sense. I’ll go and check this place out and if all goes well, then you can expect a call from me.”
Hitomi claps her hands together as she hops excitedly a couple times.
“I’m so glad. I will look forward to hearing from you, Ms. Paulson.”
“Victoria.”
Victoria nods with a look of contentment. Hitomi mirrors Victoria.
“Hitomi.”
“Well, Hitomi, as I said, of this works out, I will be in touch.”
Hitomi nods in response to Victoria.
“I look forward to hearing from you, Victoria.”
With a nod, Victoria walks away. Her pleasant demeanor dissolving away to suspicious contemplation.
‘Yeah… That wasn’t suspicious at all. I’ll look into Ms. Kitagawa’s credentials when I get back to the hotel, but for now, let’s see where this trail is going to take me.’
Twenty minutes later, a slightly surprised Victoria arrives outside of the temporary headquarters of Ultimate Wrestling.
‘Huh. Maybe I’m just being overly paranoid for no-‘
Suddenly, a hand clamped over her mouth as she is dragged into a nearby alley. Victoria feels her body being violently ragdoll tossed against a dumpster. Dazed by the impact, Victoria tried to regain her bearings.
“What the Fu-“
A flash of steel cleaves the air towards Victoria. Spying this out of the corner of her eye, Victoria tried to dodge the attack. As she sidesteps the blow, Victoria almost successfully avoids the attack. The steel slices through her shirt and scratches her flesh slightly, while the rest of the attack sparks against the metal of the dumpster.
****
Now…
Victoria charges towards the closest sword wielder. As she does, the gentleman swings towards Victoria, who ducks the attack, and slides across the pavement, crashing into trash cans. The other sword wielder charges towards Victoria. Quickly scrambling, Victoria grabs a trash can lid to block the attack. As the blade sparks against the lid, Victoria uses almost everything she has to pushback against the blow, causing her attacker to falter backwards. Seeing her attacker is faltering, Victoria charges with the lid to slam into her attacker, rushing them into the brick wall. This causes the attacker to drop the katana. Feeling the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Victoria begins to slam the lid repeatedly against his head, screaming as she does so.
“Take that, Mother Fucker!”
After a few seconds, blood begins to drip from the man’s left nostril and right ear. Victoria relents her attack, witnessing the man collapse to the pavement. Victoria braces herself against the wall slightly as she drops her makeshift shield. Suddenly, she hears a yell from behind her as her other attacker charges towards her. In her rush with her last attacker, she forgot about the second one. Now, as he charges towards her, Victoria tried to quickly scan her surroundings, but realizes that her time is up. Closing her eyes in anticipation of her demise, Victoria steels herself for the bite of steel in flesh.
A heavy thud accompanied the clanging of steal and flesh scraping entices Victoria to open her eyes. What she sees before her is her last attacker, collapsed at her feet; his sword off to his side… and a kunai in his back. Victoria’s eyes wide as she walks over to his collapsed form. She places two fingers to his throat to take his pulse.
‘Nothing. He’s dead.’
She scrutinizes the deceased assailant and shakes her head.
‘There’s no way one kunai would be enough to fell him. Poison maybe? What’s more…’
Victoria looks around the alley and towards the rooftops, seeing no one in sight.
‘No sign of their attacker. I find it hard to believe I have a guardian angel out there.’
Victoria still tries to assess the scene and is baffled.
‘What the hell is going on here? There are so many questions that need to be answered here. Why am I targeted? Who do I have to thank for the save? Did I piss someone off without knowing it? For fuck sake… I need to take some pictures and check some pockets quickly before someone passes by.’
Victoria pulls out her cellphone, proceeding to take pictures of her attackers, their weapons, the kunai. She searches their pockets managing to find a cellphone on the unconscious attacker. Victoria takes the phone and proceeds to dial 110 to inform the police of an attack at her location. Before they have a chance to probe further, Victoria hangs up, and shuts the phone off; pocketing it for further investigation later.
‘Now, to find a place to hide out and wait.’
Victoria manages to find a place across the street out of sight to watch the events unfold. The guy she managed to knock out stayed unconscious as the police showed up. She watches as a couple ambulances arrive as well two more squad cars. Victoria witnesses the still living assailant being loaded into an ambulance.
‘I’ll need to pay close attention to any news reports are released. Maybe reach out to Matt to see if he knows anyone in law enforcement over here. I want to know what this asshole knows. For now, however…’
Victoria reaches up to the cut right below her chest. She winces as there is a slow bleed from the wound.
‘I’ll take care of that later. For now, I have a job to land.’
With that, Victoria makes her way towards becoming a member of Ultimate Wrestling.