Description: Fuelled by a desire to prove herself, Lightning Spangles has come to claim the Black Widow's belt. This time, it's not only one young woman's hopes and aspirations on the line against the Western Professional champion's belt, but those of children all over the world. Will the All-American cowgirl put an end to the Widow's title reign, or will yet another fighter fall prey to the Widow's bite?
"I want a belt, Jerry."
That was what Jezebel told Jerry, in the aftermath of her fight with Nightwolf. She was in no condition to fight, though. Physically, she was fine. But mentally... no. Jerry wasn't going to let Jezebel into any ring, where she risked a breakdown. She was too unstable, when she was under that kind of stress. It had been a while, a few weeks, as Jerry let her recover. But Jezebel kept focused on it, kept obsessing over it.
She wanted to prove she was a real fighter.
She wanted to prove that she was a real martial artist. Not a pretend one. A real person. So Lightning Spangles was weighed in, a board had stepped in to observe her fight record. And ultimately, it was determined that Lightning Spangles would qualify for the Pro league. The effect this had on her ego was overwhelming. The fact that she even surpassed Jack Sanders was resounding. She wasn't just a celebrity, she was a star fighter.
And now, it was time to claim her belt.
The crowd was overflowing, a full house within the Capcom Wrestling Association Stadium. And why wouldn't it? A title defense in itself was a major event. But not only was it up against the legendary Black Widow, not only was it a defense against the world famous Lightning Spangles, but it was a pair of mature ladies duking it out in contrasting styles. The fans of each were in full force, while the fans of both were quietly watching, rubbing their hands with dark delights.
The less said about those fans, the better.
The giant video screens light up as the theme of Lightning Spangles surges to life. The Hoedown Dillo comes on the screen, the neckerchief-wearing cartoon Armadillo fiddling along with the Lightning Spangles theme song. Down the aisle, to the center ring, Lightning Spangles bursts out. Dressed in her blue jeans and star-spangled red vest, she builds up a jog down, waving to the crowd. The jog slows down, however, as a crowd of children throng at the side lines. Lightning Spangles stops down, as the cowboy-hat wearing kids all hold out pictures and paraphenilia of Lightning Spangles. The actress fighter begins to break out a pen, and quickly starts signing all the signs. "Well boy howdy! Thank goodness y'all made it!' She tells the children, as she begins to autograph an Official Lightning Spangles Sing-Along Songs III CD box. "I'm gonna need all the help you can give when I face that mean ole' Widow!" She doesn't manage to make it to the center ring just yet; she had to make sure her most important fans were taken care of first.
Taken care of with a smile.
Even as the illustrious Lightning Spangles is busying herself with the young fans, the ring itself still waiting to be graced by the superstar's presence, the lights over the stadium begin to shut down, one by one. Those fans familiar with the Black Widow's modus operandi are sure to recognize the sign, and sure enough, the Lightning Spangles theme playing over the sound system distorts, the Hoedown Dillo on the TV screen becoming a mess of static before fading to a different image: the face of the Black Widow, the blue mask donned as always, so that the only thing visible of the wrestler's expression is a smooth jawline and soft lips curled into a smirk. A faint guitar riff from the intro to the Deftones' Change (In the House of Flies) begins to play faintly over the sound system, and as it does, the Widow's sing-song voice can be heard throughout the stadium - though in the video, the Black Widow does not speak along with the words to be heard.
"Ahh... Lightning Spangles."
A sort of hushed murmur falls over the crowd. On the screen, that smirk on the Widow's face seems to grow ever so slightly, moment by moment.
"At last, a celebrity has come to grace the Widow's parlour."
o/~ I watched you change... into a fly...o/~
The music continues in the background as the crowd awaits. The Black Widow takes their time, the smirk on the screen seeming to grow evermore - or is it just a trick of the eyes? It's difficult to tell.
"Such a web you've spun for yourself, Lightning Spangles. An intricate web, glittering in the spotlight. Surely with such an impressive backdrop, no one could doubt that 'Lightning Spangles' is the Widow's equal."
o/~ I looked away... you were on fire... o/~
As the chorus of the song kicks in, the Widow's voice only becomes louder - more accusatory, almost a rasping growl. The smirk on the screen seems at some point to have twisted into more of a sneer.
"But what would a spider want with these maggots you've surrounded yourself with, Lightning Spangles? Squirming and dreaming of spinning webs of their own one day, and yet we know that they can only aspire to be flies."
Here and there in the audience, gasps can be heard at the audacity, while already the heat from the crowd is rising, boos directed toward the television and the sneering visage of the Widow.
"Tell me, Lightning Spangles, do you kowtow to the maggots because you know that one day they will feed your web? Or is it perhaps because, in the center of that web, there is no spider, but only a fly, twitching its legs and waiting to have its wings plucked? Tell me, Lightning Spangles..."
Abruptly, there is a click overhead as a blue tinged spotlight illuminates the ring area, revealing the Widow perched atop the top turnbuckle of one of the corner posts. With the object of their disdain now presented, the jeers from the crowd begin to crescendo.
"Or, better still, show me."
The Widow's tone seems to have lost its harsh edge, and the sneer on the screen has faded back into an arrogant smirk - one shared by the Widow atop the turnbuckle.
As the light go out, the children begin to scream.
Lightning Spangles turns around, handing back the autographed picture of herself. Spreading her arms out, she moves herself to stand between her and whatever would threaten these children. "Don't worry, kids! As long as Lightning Spangles is here, y'all be safe!" The haunting music begins to play, and the actress just listens. Gone was the Hoedown Dillo. And in its place was the wretched face of Widow.
The boos surround Lightning Spangles, as she approaches the center ring.
Her eyes were wide, her jaw slack. But her swaggering stride would make John Wayne blush. Slowing down as she approaches the ring, a look of righteous fury was spread across the face of the one and only Lightning Spangles. By the time the lights come back on, there was the Black Widow, striding tall on top of the turnbuckle post. As the boos continue to roar, Lightning Spangle suddenly sweeps her hand. The crowd goes silent, as Lightning Spangles point her finger right at Widow.
"How -dare- you!"
Lightning Spangles walks around the center ring, circling it slowly as she emphasizes her pointing with a thrust of the finder. "How =dare= you! These children are not maggots! They are the future! They are my friends! And I won't let some creepy spider try and mock them!" She pauses a moment, letting the cheers come on. She stops her circling, striking a pose. "I am Lightning Spangles, the All-American Hero! And I have come here, Widow, to make claim to your Championship Belt!"
"And if you want me to show you?"
Lightning Spangles drops her pose as she gives a short jog to the ring. Rolling under the ropes in a dramatic tumble, she enters the ring with an acrobatic stand. Hopping once, she steps to the middle of the ring, falling into the Tae Kwon Do stance. Staring hard at Widow, her head thrown back, she smiles firmly.
"Well I'm ready when you are!"
COMBATSYS: [Rick Derringer - Real American] "I am a REAL American / Fight for the rights of every man..." Oh damn. "I am a REAL American / Fight for what's right-- / Fight for your life!!" Things just got real, because LIGHTNING SPANGLES, THE ALL AMERICAN (Jezebel) is ready to SLAM!
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Jezebel 0/-------/-------|
Somehow, as if the crowd's - and Jezebel's reaction was gauged before the apparent recording of Widow was made, that smirk plastered across the screen seems to grow with every word that the cowgirl speak's, synchronized with the one on the face of the wrestler crouched atop the corner turnbuckle like a predatory animal. And then, as Jezebel finishes, the music fades out and the screen flickers once more before changing to display a camera close-up of the in-ring action.
"In that case..."
The Widow's body extends, draping forward off of the corner ropes with uncanny flexibility, hands touching the mat before feet do, crawling across the mat in that same animalistic manner. Once in center ring opposite Lightning Spangles, the Black Widow's body stretches fully upright for a lingering moment, allowing the crowd - and Spangles herself - to briefly witness the difference in size - a good several inches, and nearly eighty pounds.
"May the truer fighter win."
The Widow remains standing, extending a hand to the smaller Spangles in a traditional offer of a handshake. For a moment, the expression on the Widow's face seems more reserved, even as the intermingling applause and derision from the crowd rains down upon the two fighters...
Something was off.
As Widow uncoils from the post, stretching down to the center ring, it becomes too obvious how much bigger her opponent was. The tower Widow looms over the now smaller Lightning Spangles. The cowgirl was not comfortable about this at all. And yet, the wrestler did not seem too cruel. As in an moment of kindness and good sportsmanship, extends a hand to shake.
"No, Lightning Spangles, No!'
Those were the cries from the children in the audience, the pleads of the many fans. "No Lightning Spangles! It's a trap! Don't do it!" Lightning Spangles herself draws in a deep breath, looking over at Widow with a smile. She knew what was about to happen. And nothing she could do could deny it. The actress strides over to Widow, stretching her own hand out. "Good Luck, pardner!" She begins, as she clasps her hand into Widow's own, turning deaf to the pleas of her fans.
"And lets keep it clean!"
There's a moment where the Widow's hand clasps around Spangles'. The expression on Widow's face is almost warm for a moment as their hands lock. The crowd is almost riotous - most know this is a trick when they see it, but some are simply lauding the display of sportsmanship between the champion and the heroine.
"Good luck..."
*DING DING DING*
And then, with the simple ring of a bell, that grip tightens around Jezebel's. And then that smirk turns into a sneer.
"...Partner."
And then, just as predictable as the acceptance of the handshake, comes the punishment - extending the other arm and locking it outward, the Black Widow attempts to pull the American cowgirl in, aiming the extended crook of the elbow toward Spangles' throat and aiming to, as one commentator might have said, 'clothesline her right out of her boots.'
COMBATSYS: Widow enters the arena, to the roar of the crowd!
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Widow 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jezebel
COMBATSYS: Widow successfully hits Jezebel with Combo Throw.
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Widow 0/-------/-------|====---\-------\0 Jezebel
Lightning Spangle's eyes go wide as the woman's grip tightens.
As the bell rings, the actress's sudddenly finds herself jerked right out of it into a clothesline. Lightning Spangles is knocked right off her feet, as boos and hisses burst out from the audience. The children shout and cry, yelling out for Lightning Spangles. She isn't knocked out of her boots, but her hat lands on the ground hard. The cowgirl herself lands hard on her back with a groan, slamming hard on the mat. Choking a bit, she writhes on the ground in pain.
And she makes sure to sells it hard.
Lightning Spangles knew that Widow's character was a heel. And for the wrestler to do his job, even as the belt holder... Lightning Spangles had to make sure he was absolutely loathed by the audience. Widow might see, this close up, that Lightning Spangles was well overselling the injury that was unleashed on her.
And might have some time to play up the crowd.
The cheers of the children suddenly spread through the crowd, as Lightning Spangles, with a heave, manages to roll to her side, and slowly climb back up. "Yaaaay! Lightning Spangles! Get up Lightning Spangles! Get up!" The cowgirl carefully eases herself on her feet. Picking up her hat from the mat, she fixes it hard on her head. Flipping her ponytail towards the audience, she waves to the crowd, shaking her fists in the air to show everyone that Lightning Spangles was okay. Chants comes out as Lightning Spangles falls back to her fighting stance. "That's a low blow, pardner!" She calls out, her fists up. "Real low! But let me show you just how we take care of cheaters in my neck of the Rio Grande!"
"Hiya!"
Lightning Spangles approaches Widow, moving with dramatic flair. The chant builds, infusing Lightning Spangles with the thrill of the crowd. "LIGHTNING SPANGLES! LIGHTNING SPANGLES!" Was the cry as the cowgirl leans back. With a thrust of her leg, she unleashes a fast, straight kick, attempting to plow it hard into the titantic wrestler. All while the crowd fills her heart with the chanting.
She was really feeling it now!
COMBATSYS: Widow blocks Jezebel's Thrust Kick.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|====---\-------\0 Jezebel
The Black Widow's smirk remains unfazed by the accusations hurled both by the crowd and the All-American cowgirl. In fact, it only seems to grow more confident and insidious the more loudly the crowd attacks the wrestler. Having dropped into that predatory stoop again as Lightning Spangles picked herself up from the mat, the wrestler crosses one arm across their chest to absorb the incoming blow, the hand of the other arm locking around the wrist as the Widow flexes into the attack. The kick is still enough to shove the wrestler backward along the mat, the padded feet of the wrestling tights shifting easily along the surface.
"Ah, but we're not in your neck of the river, are we?"
The Black Widow swoops in toward Jezebel, retaliating with a kick of the Widow's own design. One long and powerful leg cuts upward through the air, a faint white arc of energy trailing from the sole of the Widow's foot as it drives hard toward the shorter fighter's chin.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Widow's Illusion Parade.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=======\-------\0 Jezebel
Jezebel didn't like feeling small.
The chants from the crowd continue to fill her, as Lightning Spangles thrusts the kick... to a meaty limb. Widow was huge. Titantic. And what was worse, was that the wrestler was strong. The seemingly tiny cowboy was out of her element, and soon, a blazing kick of threatens to hit her right on the chin.
Lightning Spangles blocks her with her arm.
She stumbles back hard, overselling the blow as she hits the ropes. The children cry out, yelling for their hero to surge right back. Right now, Lightning Spangles was feeling herself a tad cornered. But not too cornered though. "This might not be Texas!" She drawls, shaking her arms gingerly as she ducks down low. Red, white, and blue energy flood over her. "But as long as I got my fans with me, well..."
"There's no place like home!"
Lightning Spangles suddenly leaps forward, spiralling through the air as she pounces. Red, white, and blue energy cascade around her, spreading around her form as she hurls herself straight for Widow. She unleashes an aerial kick, exploding in a burst of red, before unleashing another, with a burst of white energy. A final aerial roundhouse comes, to pin Widow down under her foot, as a final burst of blue energy comes. The children cry out the name of the signature move, as the crowd roars.
"WHERE EAGLES DARE!!!"
COMBATSYS: Widow dodges Jezebel's Where Eagles Dare EX.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Jezebel
While the Black Widow's physical stature may well outstrip the All-American's, the sheer magnitude of the cowgirl's presence, standing on a metaphorical pedestal of support born of the will of the crowd, is enough to make Lightning Spangles seem, in a way, larger even than the Widow. Many might feel overwhelmed by the sonic waves of good will for the American heroine washing over the ring.
And yet, the Widow doesn't falter. The smirk does disappear for a moment when Jezebel takes to the air, though. The energy-fuelled barrage comes hard and fast, but the Black Widow is just the slightest bit faster - the first kick sails to one side as the wrestler bends to one side at the abdomen. The second is avoided with a fast sliding backstep, the Widow's gut sucking in to avoid the attack. Then, as the roundhouse comes, the Widow's form contorts in a display almost painful just to watch - bending backward, upper body nearly perpendicular to the lower half, the Black Widow narrowly avoids the final roundhouse as it passes overhead. The Widow breaks the position by flipping backward into a crouch.
"Ever the patriot. I suppose it comes naturally when one is so loved in return by one's country," the Widow practically sings out. "I wonder, will they stop loving you when you fall at my hands? Or will they be willing to overlook yet another failure?"
With that, the Black Widow darts toward Jezebel, sliding on one hip along the mat with the other leg raised high, aiming a kick at the All-American's legs to try and take them out from under her.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel dodges Widow's Light Kick.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|======-\-------\0 Jezebel
"Oh no!"
That was the cry as the legendary move of Lightning Spangles... was ultimately evaded. In spite of Widow's massive size, he was fast. The agile wrestle dodges the red, white, and blue, as the audience continues their chant. The children, however, were moaning and groaning. Lightning Spangles couldn't be played like that.
Could she?
The cowgirl gives a defiant answer to that question upon landing, the final roundhouse cutting over the Black Widow's head. Quickly regaining her center, the wrestler darts right back, sliding on the ground as he tries to scoop Lightning Spangle's feet right from under her. The cowgirl gasps, as she looks side to side. Just as Black Widow was about to hit, she unleashing a long vault, leaping high into the air as she narrowly evades the low kick. Of course, the trash talk comes, as it always does, and Lightning Spangle nearly perfectly endures it.
But she mentions a failure.
"Now, hold on Black Widow! You don't think my fans would dump me for falling for that little trick of yours at the beginning, do ya?" The Lightning Spangles persona blocks out any other meaning of that suggestion of another failure. Jezebel didn't deserve any other meaning. As she begins to fall back to earth, the All-American Hero sweeps her leg around. Balls of red, white, and blue energy fly out of her leg, peppering the mat around the Black Widow. In only a moment, would the area around the wrestler explode into a burst of red, white, and blue fireworks. But that wasn't what Lightning Spangles was focusing on.
She was focusing on how her fans would overlook any failure, no matter what.
COMBATSYS: Widow dodges Jezebel's Sundance.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Jezebel
Even as the red, white and blue orbs of energy collide with the mat, the Black Widow is already airbourne, flipping backward through the air toward the nearest corner post and landing just out of the blast radius. The ring shakes with the impacts, and the Widow clings to the top ropes with each hand to maintain balance and avoid being knocked from the turnbuckle. When the storm passes, though, that arrogant smirk returns below the Widow's mask. One hand relinquishes its grip on the rope and slips behind Widow's back.
"Of course they wouldn't. How presumptuous of me, to think that they might abandon you over such a trivial matter. Especially when they remain loyal after... oh, but I'm speaking too much."
The arm behind Widow's back whips around. The fans behind Widow would have seen it - the coalescing white energy, gathering into the shape of a spider, now flung toward the cowgirl's face. Should it connect, the energy would prove adhesive, pulling back toward its point of origin and stretching into strands akin to a spider's web.
"Look out, Spangles! He has a spider!" comes the shout of one child near the front row over the din of the crowd.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel dodges Widow's Tarantula Net.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Jezebel
"Yes!"
Was Lightning Spangle's voice, drowning out Black Widow. "They will always remain loyal!" Jezebel couldn't handle what he was hinting. She knew she couldn't. She could see the shadows of what the Black Widow was picking at. As Lightning Spangles lands, she was dizzy, a moment of fatigue, of confusion. She barely notices Widow slipping away from her blast, or the wrestler reaching behind her, to pull out a spider...
And then the child cries out.
Lightning Spangles quickly snaps out of it. The spider web of chi energy is flung out, straight for her face. She narrowly sidesteps, evading the attack just by mere inches. She tips her hat at the kid who probably just pulled her out of the black beetle room of the actress. "Yee haw! That sure was a close one! Okay folks! It looks like this Black Widow is really making things tough for Lightning Spangles!'
"So clap your hands!"
Lightning Spangles begins to clap her hands. "Clap your hands!" The audience begins to clap along with her, as Lightning Spangles shoves away the dark, dark words that Widow was creeping into her. "Well, life's on a farm is kinda laid back, ain't much an old country girl like me can't hack. It's early to rise, early in the sack! Thank God, I'm a country girl!" Lightning Spangles begins to sing, as the crowd begins to sing along. Energy flows into her, as the crowd begins to join her in a great sing-along.
And was feeding into her ego even more.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel burns with the AMERICAN SPIRIT!
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=====--\-------\0 Jezebel
The Widow's head turns, the wrestler's masked gaze looming down at the children in the crowd like the eye of the Dark Lord. The kids recoil, a couple ducking down behind the barricade as if anticipating retribution for the words that saved Lightning Spangles from the Black Widow's web. Their morale is quickly bolstered, however, when the audience begins to clap in unison.
The Widow turns back toward the fighting star as the song begins, expression tense for a moment - then that smirk returns. For someone who's familiar with Jezebel's persona, this sudden lapse isn't such an unexpected breach of battle etiquette.
And then, much to the audience's bewilderment, Widow starts to clap.
The beat the Widow is keeping is just a little off at first. Then, all of a sudden, the wrestler flips forward onto both hands, pushing both legs toward the ceiling, and begins to walk across the ring toward Jezebel, arms pumping up and down in time to the song. By the end of the verse, Widow has stopped quite near to Jezebel, and begins posing, lifting one hand to the side and shaking it, then replacing it on the next beat and mirroring the action with the other hand. At the same time, both legs are scissoring in the air, demonstrating an acrobatic flexibility and power.
The crowd is, in general, entertained.
After the end of the verse, the Widow flips back onto the mat and strikes a pose, arms outstretched. As the audience cheers, Black Widow addresses Jezebel aside.
"I do love to dance."
And then, with a sudden surge, the Widow reaches sidelong toward Jezebel, attempting to loop an arm around the cowgirl's neck and place the other near her midsection. Should the Widow be successful, the wrestler would attempt to lift the star upside down and bring her headfirst to the mat with a crushing brainbuster.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Widow's Crushing Throw.
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Widow 0/-------/------=|=======\=------\1 Jezebel
Was even the Black Widow joining in?
The kids in the audience squeal with delight as even the scary spider wrestler was joining in with the hoedown. On the big screen, the Hoedown Dillo plays along, as the whole arena breaks out into a full square dance. It is the most beautiful thing ever seen at the CWA.
But not all beauty was meant to last.
As the song ends, Lightning Spangles smiles at Black Widow for a brief moment... before he goes for the grapple. "Yahoo!" She exclaims, as the internet search browser appears on the giant screen. As the wrestler snatches Lightning Spangles, the cowgirl just... dead weights. She wasn't a wrestler, and she was just dead selling the attempt to lift her up. Grabbing Widow right back, she find her body groaning and crunching as she becomes entangled with the spider. She was, in effect, trapped in the midsts of the other fighter, but in turn, the Black Widow was trapped with her.
And that was the opportunity.
Lightning Spangles begins to glow bright with red, white, and blue energy, as the audience cheers. As Lightning Spangles grits her teeth, refusing to be brain bustered, she finally begins to lower down. "We I don't like this step very much!" She gasps, before she just explodes with a blast of chi. If Black Widow didn't break, then she would likely be forced to ride along with Lightning Spangles as she shoots across the ring, right to the other turnbuckle, spinning around like a red, white, and blue rocket.
Exploding like a firework, of course, as she hits the other corner post.
COMBATSYS: Widow blocks Jezebel's Pale Rider.
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Widow 0/-------/----===|-------\-------\0 Jezebel
The insidious grin on the Widow's lips fades as spider and rider become interlocked with each other. Determined to deliver the payload of the attack and drive the All-American into the ring floor, struggling with the cowgirl to do so, the Black Widow is too entangled to easily break away when Jezebel begins to glow again. And so, rather than doing so, the spidery wrestler plants both feet on the ground, attempting to contain the All-American's explosive force. It's enough to plow the Black Widow right back across the mat, straight toward the corner post!
Just at the last minute, though, the Widow's feet leave the mat, legs swinging out to either side, the soles catching onto the bottom ring ropes and stretching them under the weight of both fighters. The Widow's frame tightens into a near ball against the corner of the ring, arms pushing back against Spangles until the last moment, when they release the cowgirl and fly up to cover the wrestler's face, shielding it from the ensuing explosion.
When the blast clears, Widow's blue wrestling tights appear singed in places from the energy, especially along the arms, but as the wrestler unfurls on the ropes, it's clear that the assault has been weathered.
"Well, if you don't like that step, I'm sure that there are others we can try."
Taking hold of the top ropes with both hands, the Widow begins to sway on them.
"With most partners, it takes about five or six steps to finish a dance, but I think you, Lightning Spangles, may need twelve steps!"
With that, Black Widow uses the momentum from the ropes to take to the air toward Jezebel, legs outstretched, attempting to leap onto the cowgirl's shoulders. Should the maneuver succeed, the Black Widow will then lock both thighs against her head and swing forward, flipping and throwing the woman to the mat.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel endures Widow's Frankensteiner.
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Widow 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Jezebel
Lightning Spangles was, piece by piece, slipping behind.
Carrying the dreaded Black Widow to the corner, the fact remained that the wrestling legend had not fallen. Hurling herself into the corner post, the cowgirl rebounds off, landing on her back. Staggering back upright, the audience still was rooting for her. But all the cheers in the world could only keep her steady. Widow was good.
And he was already coming in for the kill.
As he goes for the kill, the Black Widow goes for the pounce. Leaping off the ropes, the legs wrap around Lightning Spangles. The cowgirl... looks surprised. Too surprised. As she is caught between those meaty thighs, she is slammed right to the mat. There is a pained gasp... and Lightning Spangles looks like she is out. Eyes shut, she does not move. There is a silence in the audience. A child calls out. "L-lightning Spangles?!"
And she rises.
"I'm not gonna lose, with all these kids counting on me!" She announces, unleashing a staggering straight kick... straight up. Turning her entire body around, she thrusts her long legs straight up in the air, attempting to follow up the hurl with a kick straight to Widow's jaw. But her banter does not stop.
"You really stand for this, Black Widow?"
"You stand for the dark, for the miserable? Then I dare you to strike! I dare you to break! I dare to bring out the worst that you can muster! Because I! Lightning Spangles! The All-American Hero! Have come for your belt!"
"And I won't back down until I get it!"
COMBATSYS: Jezebel issues a challenge!!
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Widow 0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0 Jezebel
COMBATSYS: Widow endures Jezebel's Fierce Kick.
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Widow 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\0 Jezebel
The Widow is waiting, lurking over the prone form of Lightning Spangles after the leg scissor takedown lays her out. As a result, Jezebel's foot smashes cleanly into Widow's Jaw when she launches herself upward. The Widow's head snaps backward, a spray of blood flying from the wrestler's lips - the first blood drawn from the Widow in this match. The crowd roars as Lightning Spangles' attack strikes true.
The Widow's fall backward to the mat is arrested, though, by the wrestler's left hand flattening against the canvas. The movement is then followed through by the Widow spreading both legs apart to a braced position of power, providing support for what is to follow - "If you're inviting me to break -" the Black Widow lunges low, attempting to scoop Jezebel by the waist and slip behind her, before attempting to heave and suplex her back onto the mat. "- then my reply is, you first!!"
Should the first suplex succeed, though, the Widow will not release its prey just yet - two more similar suplexes, punctuated by twists and rolls for positioning, would then follow.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel interrupts Brutal Throw Chain from Widow with High Noon EX.
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Widow 1/--=====/=======|=======\======-\1 Jezebel
A clean hit.
As the fact that she drew blood, though, the challenge fades. Jezebel surges back to what was happening. She... she hurt him. Lowering her voice, Jezebel whispers out to her, the cowboy accent gone. "Are you all right...?" She asks in a low voice, well outside the Lightning Spangles character. She waits a moment, waiting for Widow to do something. As the wrestler rises, unleashing her threat though, Lightning Spangles comes to full form. Grinning, she braces herself, as Widow lunges low.
"I'll never break!"
That was the cry as Lightning Spangles is scooped up by the waist, and slammed hard on the mat. "Gragh!" She cries, as the audience all gasps in pain. "No! Lightning Spangles! No! Use High Noon!" Comes the cry of one of the children in the audience. As the second suplex comes, there is another groan of agony for the actress. "High Noon! High Noon! Use the High Noon!' The children were pleading now. Finally, the third suplex comes roaring in...
And Lightning Spangles breaks from the hold.
An explosion of red chi bursts out as she reverses from the hold, unleashing a physics-denying kick to launch both herself and Widow into the air. Rioting high up, the bruised and battered Lightning Spangles sweeps her leg high up in the air, rotating it. And with a slam, smashes her heel down hard into the wrestler, spiking her hard straight to the mat. As she lands, sweat pours from her brow, the cowgirl gasping for air. She was hurt, badly hurt.
But she was not done.
"YEEEEEEEEHAAAAAW!"
The Black Widow lies motionless for a long moment as the impact of the six-and-a-half foot wrestler's body continues to resonate through the ring. The crowd is still applauding; it looks as if their heroine may well have defeated her opponent. But then, with a slow and deliberate motion, the Black Widow rolls up from the mat and into a crouch. For the moment, the smirk is gone - instead, the Widow's mouth is hanging open, taking in heavy breaths.
"Never break?"
One more deep inhalation, and that smirk returns. The Widow's head turns to one side, then the other, neck popping as the wrestler leans into a stoop once more, fingers flexing, one hand reaching up to wipe away the blood dripping from the Widow's mouth.
"I think you've already broken, Lightning Spangles. All I have to do is find the fracture!"
Even as the words are spoken, a faint white glow surrounds the Widow's form. And then, with a sudden speed and fury that cause many in the crowd to gasp, the wrestler flies at Jezebel, attempting to wrap both arms around the cowgirl and pin her arms against her middle before launching into the air high above the ring!! -
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Widow's Vortex Fall.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Widow 0/-------/------=|>>>>>>>\>>>>>--\1 Jezebel
And then, for a moment, the two would seem to be suspended in the air, the crowd crying out in horror as the pair flip over, the glow brightening as the Black Widow attempts to plummet back to the ring and drive the All-American's head into it, accompanied by an explosive surge of energy!
He wasn't wrong, though.
Lightning Spangles keeps her footing, fighting to stand. The Black Widow was the hardest opponent she had ever fought. At this point, only the positive energy of the crowd was fueling her. The constant picking, the constant prying. Jezebel felt that he knew more about herself, and that made her uncomfortable. But she wasn't Jezebel in the ring. She was never Jezebel in the ring.
She was Lightning Spangles.
"WATCH OUT LIGHTNING SPANGLES!" Was the cry as the Black Widow strikes. As the glow comes, there is a blur. For a moment, she had wrapped her lanky arms around the cowgirl, pinning her arms against them. There wasn't enough time. The actress grits her teeth as she is pulled high up into the air. It was the end for Lightning Spangles.
Except for the little girl in the hospital bed in the front row.
Little Jennifer Rogers, age 6, was diagnosed with Leukemia shortly after she was born. She had only 5 years to live. And yet, as she was sitting on her death bed, she saw something on the TV. Something that the other children at the hospital had once told her about. Lightning Spangles. More than anything, Jenny wanted to be just like Lightning Spangles. To always be happy, to never give up. To always be a brightness in people's life. It was clinging to the ideal of Lightning Spangles that kept her living past when the doctors told her should could live. That gave her the strength to fight cancer. More than anything, she wanted to see Lightning Spangles in person.
And that chance was now.
The little girl sits on the hospital bed, right in the front row, right where she could see the center ring. Because of how weak her circulation is, she could not wear the real Lightning Spangles Showup Hoedown outfit. But what she was wearing was a cowgirl hat, and a little deputy badge on her hospital gown. And she was watching this fight, the happiest tears in her eyes, as Lightning Spangles fought for her. Her EKG was racing, as her hero was suddenly taken up by the Black Widow. And there is a faint voice. No one else could hear it. But Lightning Spangles could. It reaches her ears, so soft, so gentle. And yet filled with more heart than the ten thousand people that was sitting in this ring right now.
"i believe in you, lightning spangles."
As Lightning Spangles is about to slammed head first into the mat, she suddenly flexes. Power comes over Lightning Spangles, as she barely, just barely, slips her arms out. Bringing them free, she is able to cover her head as the explosions comes. Hammered with bone breaking power into the mat, there is a howl from the audience. Gasps are soon followed by chattering. And after that, boos and hisses. For a moment, it seems that Lightning Spangles was finally prey for the Black Widow.
And there is a flash of light.
From the blast cloud, Lightning Spangles hurls herself through the air. Launching to the sky, her arms dangle uselessly at her sides. They were broken. Her arms were broken. But in spite of the pain, well. There was no pain for Lightning Spangles. Only the faith of her friends, only the faith of her fans. Smiling brightly, the crowd roars. Lightning Spangles looks across all her fans, all the crowd that were going wild for the surprise comeback. But she looks at the little girl. Little Jenny, whose eyes were lighting up. Little Jenny, who sits up for the first time in a year, sitting up right as her nurse tries to calm her down. To Little Jenny, Lightning Spangles winks.
And forces her broken arm to give a thumbs up to her little pardner.
Lightning Spangles lands on the ground clumsily, unable to keep her balance well. And yet, as she drops the thumbs up, she hurls out a kick. A ball of light, burning with white energy, is fired straight for Black Widow. Whether it hits or not, it will simply absorb into where it hits. "I'll never break! Nothing is stronger than my fans! Nothing is stronger than America! And as long as I rely on both... I will never falter! Never fail! Everyone! Everyone out there!"
"I need your help!"
She hurls out a second kick, as red ball of energy is hurled out. Like the first one, whatever it hits, it will simply be absorbed. "Even the people at home! I need your help! I need y'all to give me a big yee haw! Can you do it?" The audience all gives a big Yee Haw. And she just shakes her head. "I said, I need a big YEE HAW!" And she hurls out a third kick, the blue ball being fired and being absorbed into whatever it hits. Lightning Spangles turns her back on Black Widow, looking out at the audience. "Can I get a Yee Haw?" A second Yee Haw comes, but Lightning Spangles shakes her head. And she looks at her little pardner. And Little Jenny balls up a little fist, as she pumps it into the air.
"yee haw!"
And behind Lightning Spangles, the balls of energy detonate. In the Red fireworks, in the white fireworks, and even the blue. All burst into a cataclysmic display, bursting large and wide. And in its wake, in its blast radius, it quickly takes shape. Into what else? The Star Spanagled Banner itself.
The National Flag of the United States.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel successfully hits Widow with Unforgiven.
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ////// ]
Widow 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>-\-------\0 Jezebel
The Black Widow flips away at the same time that Lightning Spangles does, landing opposite the All-American on the ring floor. As the crowd roars its support for their heroine, the Black Widow is expressionless, masked face remaining focused on the celebrity cowgirl, observing her weakness... and her strength.
The Widow stands unflinching, every muscle in that eerily sculpted body seeming to flex at once as the will of the masses is summoned into a spectacular energy barrage. The first white ball strikes Widow clean in the chest, and the red one that follows impacts the wrestler's abdomen. The third strikes the top of the Widow's mask. The wrestler stands there, like a statue, as Spangles appeals to the crowd.
And then, Black Widow explodes.
The patriotic pyrotechnics engulf the spidery wrestler's form, obscuring the Widow completely from view for several moments. And when it clears... the Black Widow is still standing.
And then, the Widow drops to one knee, heavily.
The front of the Black Widow's costume is horribly scorched, the material melted in places. A hole is burnt through the upper right side of the mask, exposing a few long strands of brown hair. One hand comes up, fingers pressing lightly against the mask, gauging the damage. The expression on the wrestler's lips is unreadable. For a moment, the crowd wonders: has the Widow's reign come to an end?
"Impressive. I wondered, Spangles... I wondered if it was you who danced on their strings, or they who danced on yours. Perhaps... there is a third option."
The Black Widow's hands lower to either side, fists balling gently as the wrestler's body shudders.
"I will leave it to you... to find what that option is. But even a victory here won't bring redemption. There are heavier burdens than gold."
None but Jezebel can hear the Widow's words now - perhaps the microphone worn by the wrestler was destroyed in the attack. Few can even make out that they are being spoken. The Widow's voice seems softer somehow - different - perhaps hinting at something of the wrestler's identity, but only for Jezebel's benefit.
And then, the Widow goes still.
"The only thing I can do to ease that burden... is to allow you to suffer it!"
And then, with the suddenness of a striking viper, the Black Widow flies at Jezebel, shattering the tension with a rising uppercut aimed to carry both fighters high into the air.
COMBATSYS: Widow successfully hits Jezebel with Rising Cutter.
+=+=!= Power Slam! =!=+=+
-+- CALCULATED HIT -+-
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > ]
Widow 0/-------/---====|>>>>>>>\>>>>---\1 Jezebel
Lightning Spangles needed them.
Jezebel needed Lightning Spangles, but Lightning Spangles would not exist without her fans. Lightning Spangles died once. Nobody believed in her. But once she found out that there were people who forgot, people who would forgive, then she came back. And she never wanted to go away ever again. But if those people left her? Those people did not cheer for her? Then she would fade away, and leave Jezebel all alone again.
Jezebel would rather die than be without her.
As the blast comes, Lightning Spangles forces her hand to salute the flag. When Black Widow comes out of the aftermath, she drops her salute. And she waits. She waits to see. Was this the end? Did Lightning Spangles carry this out. She does not notice the subtle details; the haze of pain blinded her from such details. But as Widow goes still, Lightning Spangles drops her guard, to reach for her, to help her.
And she is greeted with an uppercut.
The blow knocks her high in the sky. The entire audience shrieks and howls in rage. The children cry. Even Little Jenny lets out a feeble "no!" Without dignity, Lightning Spangles falls to the ground. She does not move, at first. She just lays there, blood coming from her face. She was badly bruised. The entire crowd goes silent again. This was it. Widow had done it. The death blow. Already, the judges were going for the count.
"One!"
"Two!"
"Th-"
Lightning Spangles fires up to her feet.
There is no expression on her face as she hurls out kick after kick, surging back with a blind assault straight for Black Widow. The audience did not even have a chance to cheer as the flurry of kicks comes, again and again. They gradually build into a cheer, though the momentum seemed wrong. Widow might see it. It was in the eyes. Because on the cowgirl's face, there wasn't the face of Lightning Spangles. There was a pained, frustrated face from a desperate woman, trying to win no matter what. Kick after kick comes, pouring at Widow, as Jezebel hurls out a panicked flurry of kicks. She was without her Lightning Spangles. And she was scared. The string of kicks comes to a dead halt as suddenly, swiftly, she just falls to the ground, face first.
For a brief moment, Black Widow might hear the sob.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel has reached second wind!
[ \\\\\\\\\ < > /////// ]
Widow 0/-------/---====|===----\-------\0 Jezebel
COMBATSYS: Widow fails to interrupt True Grit from Jezebel with Power Throw.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Jezebel 0/-------/----===|
COMBATSYS: Widow can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\\\ <
Jezebel 0/-------/----===|
Before the laughter comes.
"YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAW!"
Jezebel was gone again, as the crowd cheers. Lightning Spangles stands back up. Her eyes were bright, her smile was spread across her face. She was overjoyed, boiling over. "I'll never give up! I'll never go down! And if I can't believe in myself..."
And she suddenly launches a kick straight back.
The Black Widow's body is heaving after landing in the ring after the devastating uppercut. The fist that delivered the blow is still clenched, bleeding from the knuckles. The wrestler stands at full height as the crowd goes deathly silent. For a moment, the only sound in the Capcom Wrestling Association Stadium is the sound of the judge's count ringing out like the last rites for a dying star. The Widow's back turns on Jezebel as the count reaches two, the wrestler's lips drawn tight in a neutral expression.
And then, the moment that the count cuts out mid-syllable, the Widow's lips curl into that familiar smirk, and the masked wrestler turns to face destiny.
The look on Jezebel's face says everything that the Widow needs to know. Now, only one of the fighters in the ring is wearing a mask. It would seem that the Black Widow has Jezebel right where the Spider wants her... powerful arms open to intercept the cowgirl -
Perhaps it's the woman's erratic desperation that throws off the Widow's timing. Perhaps it is the yearning of the crowd to see heroine triumph over villain that bends fate to its will. Or perhaps the Black Widow is simply and truly outmatched. Whatever the case may be, the first kick smashes right into the Widow's chest, opening the wrestler up to the barrage that follows. The Widow is driven down to one knee by the blows, apparently dazed as Spangles collapses to the mat.
And then, when that final kick comes, slamming into the Black Widow's chest and sending the wrestler flying back to slam into the corner post, the crowd erupts.
There's no stunned silence, this time. As the judge begins to count, the entire crowd counts along - or at least, those old enough to know how to count to ten do, in any case.
"...Nine!"
"TEN!"
The crowd is ecstatic as the Black Widow lies motionless in the ring corner.
There is a pregnant silence, as the final kick comes.
Lightning Spangles waits, face tense with a smile. Lightning Spangles was still the happy go lucky hero. But Jezebel was nervous. She was alive now, alive and aware. Jezebel was investing everything in this. And with this much investment... she wanted to win. Not Lightning Spangles. She just needed to love, and be loved. But Jezebel wanted to win. The smile changes, ever so slightly, as she counts along. "Eight... Nine.... T-ten!" A spasm comes over Jezebel as the crowd roars.
She had won.
Jezebel doesn't know why, but she begins to cry. Not hurtful tears, not painful tears. She hurt, but that isn't why she cries. She cries from the sheer joy. She won. She won for real. This wasn't a fake win. She was a fighter, a real fighter. She was one of the world's best, she just proved it. As a referee climbs on to the stage, holding the Pro belt for the Western region, he could see the blood, the bruises, the tears. He approaches the woman, the woman known as Lightning Spangles, and he leans in to her. "You okay?" He asks. And Jezebel just smiles, and nods. "I'm fine. I just need... I just need my composure!" Jezebel takes a deep breath in, face stained with tears, swollen from bruises. She was light headed.
But she soon falls back into character.
Lightning Spangles lifts the belt high, as the crowd howls and cheers. The entire audience goes wild, drowning out the boos and sulking of the Widow's fans. The children were screaming, all were screaming. Lightning Spangles holds the belts over her head, turning around. Her arms hurt so much. They were still broken. She would need to go to the medics, so soon.
But there was someone she needed to thank first.
She breaks free from the ref, who tries to grab her. Lightning Spangles escapes the grapple, as she runs to the edge of the ring, hanging the belt over her shoulder. She drops down, and hurries to the ring side. And there, sitting up to greet her, is the littlest deputy. Little Jenny, the cancer patient. The nurse was trying to calm her down, but the girl was more active she had ever been. The bruised, battered Lightning Spangles comes to her, and holds her hands. She is smiling so bright, and Jezebel smiles brighter. And Jezebel looks her in the eye, as she speaks. "Thank you, Jenny." She says, knowing her little fan's name from the Make A Wish foundation. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have made it. You are no longer a deputy..." And Jezebel pulls her sheriff badge off of her chest, and very carefully puts it into Jenny's hand. "But a full-fledged, Show-Up Hoedown Sheriff. Thank you Jenny. You saved Lightning Spangles today."
She saved Jezebel today.
The last image, burned on the video screens, is Lightning Spangles's arm around the shoulder's of the bald, smiling Jenny, as tears of joy flow from her eyes. From Jezebel's eyes. Real tears, real joys.
The match is over.
WINNER: Jezebel.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel has ended the fight here.
Log created on 14:48:06 01/14/2015 by Widow, and last modified on 03:15:05 01/16/2015.