She kicks out.

You’re trying your level best to hold Athena down for the count when you suddenly feel her whole body tense up. It gives you a bit of warning about what’s coming next, but not quite enough to stop it.

Her legs snap out over your back in a sudden burst of motion, and the violent shift of her weight takes your knees out from under you. Your chest hits the ground, knocking the wind out of you with a faint “oof”, and Athena sits up to find herself sitting astride your back, facing your legs.

You can’t see her face, but you can imagine her smirk as she grabs your ankles under her arms and leans back as far as she can go, locking in a perfect Boston Crab.

“And just like that, Athena turns it around!” the announcer exclaims as pain explodes through your legs.

You wriggle around to try to get some leverage, but no dice. Her weight has you trapped in place and each fresh motion makes the agony in your legs even worse. You can barely breathe with your wind knocked out and your chest pressed against the floor, and on top of all that, you can hear the crowd roaring its approval of your opponent as she goes from the edge of defeat to firmly grasping the upper hand in seconds.

“You know there’s only one way this will end,” Athena taunts you.

And as she bends back far enough to **** a scream from your throat, you can’t help but agree. There’s no way out—you’ve lost.

Demoralized and frustrated, you signal your submission with a tap-out. The point buzzer echoes in your ears for a second before it’s drowned out by cheers for Athena.

As she climbs off you, you shoot an apologetic look at Melody, who mouths “it’s okay” back at you.

You’re still having a little trouble getting to your feet after the punishment Athena just put you through—maybe it’s time to tag out?