A year has passed since the defeat of the Charybdis Deviant, and Kathleen has became a part of the McKinzie family. She was adopted ever since she lost her parents to the Deviants, and now with the creature that almost destroyed Angel Grove gone, she was ready to join her friend and sparring partner Renee in AFW.
She bid her adoptive mother farewell and flew to Tokyo with Renee, where the AFW main headquarters and their arena, the AFWdome are located. Founded by Cassandra and Melissa Sellers in the early 2000s, AFW has a long history as being one of the largest and most popular franchises in the wrestling industry. Previously, it has no name until Melissa Sellers formed a joint venture with Anime TV Networks, which gave AFW its name.
"I can't wait to see my idol when I get there! Look out, Entropy Champion Taylor Parker! Another Parker here is out to dethrone you!" said Kathleen excitedly as she sat beside Renee during flight.
After a few hours of flight, the two has finally landed in Tokyo. They went to the AFW HQ via taxi after taking out their luggage. Kathleen was amazed that she finally arrived at the place where her idol lives and wrestles for glory and for her audience's entertainment. She felt like as if she was in a TV show. She went up to the receptionist and asked.
"Uhh.. is Taylor Parker still here? I'm her #1 fan! I've been watching a LOT of her matches back in 2011 and 2012, and she was the AWESOMEST thing I ever seen! May I meet her?" said Kathleen gleefully.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Parker isn't with us anymore.." said the receptionist. Kathleen's heart broke after hearing that. "This can't be real.. Taylor isn't here anymore?! What's going on?!' said Kathleen in disbelief. "I came here to SEE her! Me and my pal Renee here paid a ticket to Japan to meet her because I kicked that stupid Deviant's ass and I've grown stronger so I can kick her ass next!" she continued with rather angry tone.
"I said, she's not with us anymore. We don't know what happened to her, try asking the others," said the receptionist. "Fine, then I'll have some word with the undercarders here," said the blonde wrestler with a disgruntled look on her face. "I should've not brought Kathleen here if she's just going to act like a deranged fangirl here, but whatever," said Renee regretfully.
"If I can't meet that stupid New Yorker then fine, I'll take her place. I'll tie my hair to twintails and dye its tips blue like her back then if I have to. I'll succeed her, I know she's probably watching me somewhere after she retired or whatever happened to her in this place. Just you wait!" said Kathleen as she walked towards the dorms. "I'll join AFW all by myself and I'll show y'all that I can be as good as her!" continued the Californian girl before she unpacked her stuff. From that day onwards, she became a member of AFW, with an intent to succeed Taylor Parker after her disappearance.
On the next day, Kathleen was up for her debut match in AFW. She was very excited since it was her first time as a wrestler in AFW. Everyone is watching her live from the AFWDome and from the TV. She was clad in her usual wrestling outfit, with a star-shaped keyhole that exposed the blonde's ample cleavage. Her first opponent was an undercarder. Her name was Cecilia Lombard, a fellow American like Kathleen and her friend Renee. "This is going to be easy" said Kathleen as she readied herself on the corner.
"Good luck on your tenure in AFW, may we meet on the ring someday!" said Renee before she left the scene.
Kathleen winked at Renee and engaged Cecilia as soon as the bell rung. She remembered how Taylor fought back then, and she'll do it to remind the audience of the New Yorker that once graced AFW before her disappearance. "Taylor, if you see me, I'm going to continue your legacy in AFW and bring glory to our namesake of a family" said Kathleen before she went for a dropkick on her raven-haired opponent.
Meanwhile in Valhalla's new HQ below the depths of Tsugaru Strait, after the HQ in Palo Alto was closed and left behind after Caitlin's death, Charybdis has finished its metamorphosis after its defeat in the hands of Kathleen left it in a temporary dormant state. It emerged from its pupa with a new human-like appearance. The traces of Dr. Charles Little was still there, but with a different appearance than he was.
"My my… you look wunderbar, my beloved one" said Freia as she saw Charybdis' new form.
"I have.. awoken once again. I have been reborn ever since I lost to that pathetic Esper. I have gained sentience ever since I feasted upon that scientist on that day. However, I have perfected myself to become the new leader of the Deviant race. I shall name myself… Hideo Iwakura. I shall assume this name to conceal myself from the eyes of those filthy Espers. I shall be remembered as a human, not as a Deviant.." said Hideo, who was formerly Charybdis.
"Hideo Iwakura.. vat an amazing name" said Freia in amazement. "For now, all of ze remaining Agents has regrouped, and ve also got some new recruits who joined us villingly. And zey're coming right now" said Freia as she welcomed several humans to her side.
These people were humans who harbor disdain for Espers. One of them was Shinzo Kamiyama, the head of the influental Kamiyama family and owner of Krait Energies, an energy company that was a rival to Lazuline back in the past and the one who drilled illegally in Sagami Bay for oil, unknowingly unleashed Dark Nightmare in the process. "Dark Nightmare beckoned to me.. He promised me strength and fortune after I freed him, and now I shall eliminate THOSE who stood in my way, starting from an… old enemy of mine," said Shinzo with a smirk on his face.
"Those Takahitsuji and Futaba scums, I'll wipe them out of this world with my power. Nothing can stand in my way, as I'm the most influental person in Japan. And soon, the world! It's money and influence that controls everything! Haha.. Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!" said Shinzo as he laughed maniacally. "Very well, I shall join you while my wife here has a business to take care off. Her usual obsession with making the perfect clone soldiers out of martial artists and other types of fighters," said Hideo before he changed his clothes and joined Shinzo as Krait Energies' advisor and secretary.
"Together, we shall build an empire with Dark Nightmare as our ruler.. Those filthy supernatural youngsters shall be erased from this world, and you'll get what you want. A nirvana for your own race, right?" said Shinzo.
"Yes… A new world for my Great and Almighty Ancestor and His spawn. Dark Nightmare, your greatest creation has returned." said Hideo as the two marched to the Krait Energies HQ.
"What can we do of our service, Ms. Edelfelt?" said a tall blonde woman along with a raven-haired woman and a tall yet muscular man on her side. "You three shall serve as my commandant officers. And as for you, you shall serve as my secretary as well," said Freia. "Yes, my liege," said the raven-haired woman.
"Aaaaaaaaand Kathleen Parker won by pinfall!" said the commentator as the bell rung. Kathleen managed to gain the upper hand and win against her opponent Cecilia. "That was very amazing, Sis!" said a girl as Kathleen returned to her dorm room. She looked back and to her surprise, Ashley followed her all the way to Japan. Turns out, she joined as a wrestler too, inspired by Kathleen's fighting spirit and her victory against Charybdis.
"What?! Ashley?! I thought you're-" said Kathleen. "It's OK, me and Mom decided to follow you all the way here. And you wanna know a secret?" said Ashley. Kathleen listened to her as Ashley whispered to her. "Your name was not Ashley at all?!" said Kathleen in shock.
"Mhm, in fact my name is Misumi Higurashi. To be honest, the Higurashi clan is pretty influental here. You wanna know a little secret? Your idol Taylor Parker was trained and managed by a former staff here named Junko Higurashi, who was related to me and my Mom distantly. I knew all of these because Junko used to kept in touch with Mom back then. Surprised, aren't you?" said Misumi.
Kathleen cried tears of joy upon hearing that. She then cuddled Misumi and thanked her for following her to AFW. "You may not be related by blood, but you're the greatest younger sister I ever had! Misumi.. I promise I'll never leave you behind and we'll always fight together to the top. I want to continue Taylor's legacy, and I want you to support me. I want you to be my Junko Higurashi" said Kathleen.
"Mhm, I will" said Misumi. "I'll do what I can!" she continued.
And so, with the help of Misumi, Kathleen rose to prominence as she fought her way to the top. During AFW's annual summer PPV event, Summer Splash, she went toe-to-toe with the current Entropy Champion, Kelly Conway. She was a very haughty and narcisstic wrestler who disdains weak wrestlers and loves to make fun of them. "I'm here to dethrone you from your spot, just like my idol back then. Bring it on!" said Kathleen as she taunted Kelly before the bell rung.
"You look pretty fun to fight, just like HER back then. Well then, bring it on!" said Kelly as she responded to her opponent's taunts. She would do her best to defend her title as Kathleen was keen on dethroning her from her spot as the Entropy Champion. "If you're watching me, Taylor. I'm going to defeat one of your old opponents from your past matches!" said Kathleen as she looked at the camera. The bell rung, and the two blonde wrestlers tussled against each other under the summer heat and clear weather.