Description: On the surface this seems to be a standard challenge for the Western Pro Belt. However there's more to this challenge than meets the eye and it's clear to viewers at home due to Jack's choice in weapon selection and Lita's departure from her usual fight tactics. What will be the repercussions of these two fighters squaring off? [Winner: Lita]
Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas. Cracker Jack, suspected agent of Shadaloo, and present West Coast Pro Belt holder, has selected this spot to defend against Lita Luwanda. He's studied what little Shadaloo has managed to gather about her. Suspected enemy agent, organization Delta Red. Jack knew that Lightning Spangles would be an easy challenge, since she was an actress and he's murdered more than a few people in cold blood, but this was different. This was a trained special forces soldier. But he has the advantage as the belt holder - all he has to do is knock her out, regardless of what happens to him.
Jack sits backstage in his dressing room with a Shadaloo medic fitting a harness onto his left arm, with an adrenaline needle poised over his skin. The medic, clad in a black bodysuit with circular sunglasses and a gaunt face, tapes the needle into place, before he pulls Jack's sleeve down. The medic nods to Jack, before the brawler and former bouncer stands, picking up his baseball bat. Since his prey apparently uses blades, he's doffed his usual wooden baseball bat, in favor of the aluminum model. Hollow, but harder. Jack will adjust.
In Caesar's Palace, one of Vegas' best casinos and fight venues, a large arena has been set up, roaring fans on all sides of the space. A steel cage has been erected on each side of the white rubber arena floor, with cameras set up to capture the action perched atop each cage. Jack appears to the announcer's shouts over the venue's speakers, the crowd cheering the champion. He grins and tips his hat with his left, ungloved hand, before stepping through the cage door as an orderly holds it open for him. His medic remains outside, watching grimly. Cracker Jack strolls towards his starting side's center and turns around, raising his arms in triumph to the shouts, soaking in the attention and feeling the heat of the lights.
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack has started a fight here.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-------|
Delta Red had issued this challenge on Lieutenant Lita Luwanda's behalf because of their suspicions of him being an agent of Shadaloo. So she was dispatched to Las Vegas to challenge Jack and if she should win see if she could arrange an interview with him to find what he knows anf if it was something actionable deal with him.
She arrives wearing the Delta Red dress uniform with BDU pants replaced with cargo pants and a bandolier of kunai strapped to her thighs for easy access. She's quiet when she's introduced and as she makes her way to the arena. The look on her face is neutral, she's not here to have fun with this. She's not out to use this as training. She's here to do a job. It's an overall different feel from how she usually comes into a fight.
The door opens and she nods to the official. What little fans Lita has will be stunned by what she does next. She does something she has done in any of her public fights to date. Her fingers move to her quick release clasp and unlock as she pulls her sword free. This will be the first time she has ever started a fight with the sword drawn right from the beginning. Granted she's still using a polycarbonate replica of her actual sword since it would look bad if it seemed as though she was out to murder her opponent in a public and televised fight. She'll still be able to make him bleed. It just means it'll be mostly internal.
She takes a deep breath, slides into her stance and gets ready for war.
COMBATSYS: Lita has joined the fight here.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Lita
As Lita enters, Jack spins about, his bat on his shoulders with his wrists hanging over either end. He smirks as he watches her, seeing that she's selected a fake sword. "Going to regret the choice of weapon!" he shouts across the arena to her as he pulls his bat off his back and tosses it from hand to hand, spinning it with practiced ease. He points at her with the blunt end of the bat, nodding slowly with a devious grin, the fans roaring at his showmanship, before he tosses the bat to his left hand and sprints forward. His brown loafers cling to the rubber mat as he approaches her, moving light a freight train with his mostly natural muscle. Cracker Jack got his start right here in Vegas as a bouncer, and the work left him built up like a steam engine.
As Jack closes in, he winds his right hand back, the fingerless glove creaking faintly as his fingers ball into a fist. He ducks low and jerks his right foot to the inner step, squeaking to a halt as he gets right up into Lita's face. His arm snaps out like a machine as his uppercut is unleashed, Jack bursting back to a standing posture with a bounce as he straightens out, all his effort put into the move, leaving him more than a little open to a counter attack.
"YEAH!"
COMBATSYS: Lita blocks Cracker Jack's Dashing Upper.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0 Lita
When Jack taunts her about her choice of weapon she smirks. He doesn't know her reasons for having this particular weapon made. "Actually this was made specifically so I wouldn't miss my sword. Weighted in a similar fashion to my actual sword. Is practically just as durable, and not nearly as messy and thus, more TV friendly."
And that's when Cracker Jack charges in like a bull and Lita moves similar to a matador turning the strike to the side as she side steps and spins moving toward his flank with the sword at the ready right before she swings the polycarbonate right for Jack's leg with a bit of umph.
Was her weapon choice actually bad?
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack deflects Heavy Strike from Lita with Batting Hero.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/----===|====---\-------\0 Lita
Cracker Jack's bat slides in his hand until he can grip it, then slamming downwards into the rubber arena mat between the sword and Jack's leg. There's a slam between the weapons, Jack's bat producing a hollow *CLONG*, before Jack springs to the side, also fast on his feet in addition to being quite strong. "Always take your best horse to the show, honey," is all he can say as he swings the bat in front of him and up, his hand snatching it out of the air. He jukes to place himself near Lita's flank, both hands gripping the bat and his muscles flexing, before he cranks it right across her skull with a solid swing. Jack's a brutal fighter, he has no problem with seriously hurting an opponent, maybe even publically killing one. He sells cigarettes and booze with his endorsements, after all - if there's one thing Jack's not concerned about, it's other people's health.
Lita's sword meets bat and true to her words, the polycarbonate sword is durable enough to take the punishment but unfortunately she's so committed to the attack she can't do anything about the fact that her sword is getting deflected to the side and that's when she gets clocked by the aluminum bat and is sent flying into the cage.
She's on her knees trying to clear out the cobwebs from Jack completely ringing her bell. She doesn't look like she's about to move any closer but instead she pushes her self to her feet with her polycarbonate sword and then all of a sudden she whips her arm out and sends dirt/dust/possibly some cayenne pepper mixed in there for effect flying for Jack's face.
She's probably lost some of her fans with the dirty tactics she's willing to use on this particular opponent.
COMBATSYS: Lita successfully hits Cracker Jack with Fighting Dirty.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/--=====|======-\-------\0 Lita
Cracker Jack follows through with the bat swing, gritting his teeth at how good that felt. He lowers his bat as she goes sprawling into the cage and then to the ground, slowly walking after her with his vicious grin the only part of his facial expression visible. "Well well well, how do you like -- ARGH!" He gets a face full of dirt and cayenne pepper, stumbling backwards as he grips his face. "You fucking bitch!" he hisses, in too much pain to feel as much rage as he normally would at that kind of cheap shot. Tears streaming down his eyes as he coughs and sputters, his body sags, losing some of his will to fight. He could spike the adrenaline needle...But that's a contigency plan. Better not waste it.
Forced to play more conservatively for the time being as he recovers from the stinging pain in his eyes, he snarls at her, looking inhuman for a moment as he raises his bat. He goes charging forward, losing all sense of discipline as he stumbles back into the fray with just a little uncertainty as to where his opponent is. Seeing her silhouette in his stinging, nearly clenched shut eyes, he swings his bat at her. "You'll fucking pay for that, you Delta Red c***!" he shouts as he gets his heat up, the real rage hitting him now, as his ears pound with crowd's imagined mockery at his present position.
COMBATSYS: Lita fails to interrupt Aggressive Strike from Cracker Jack with Rising Slash.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Lita
And while she remains calm and disciplined, Jack loses his. His charge is wild and it's too unpredictable for her to take advantage of it. She steps forwards and crouches as she's about to take flight. The swipe connects with her back causing her to stumble.
She takes a moment to get her feet under herself. "Well you did say to take my best horse to the show."
She shrugs and then brings up her sword in the guard position ready and waiting for an angry Cracker Jack to come charging at her again.
Cracker Jack's eyes still sting, and he's still quite pissed. He exhales after he connects with his bat, and backpedals into a fighting stance as he watches Lita, seeing her a little more clearly. His normal response to the guard position would be a little finesse, possibly a riposte to knock the sword aside, then a punch to her jaw, or maybe a shoulder ram into the cage behind her. But he's not thinking. Spittle flying from his mouth because he's breathing so hard, he throws his bat aside and simply charges forward, low and fast, moving in a spear tackle. "HWAAAAH!"
Should the spear tackle sneak under her guard and connect, he grabs her around the waist and thrusts his entire body upwards in a tremendous show of force, spinning her about on his shoulder, before spiking her downwards onto the mat head first.
COMBATSYS: Lita dodges Cracker Jack's Cyclone Toss.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\0 Lita
He's wild and she instead tries to keep her head since usually that doesn't help her situation. Jack right now is all brute force and wild aggression and she's trying to figure out a way to take advantage of it. He tries to spear tackle her and she slips to the side once more, twisting to the side as she takes a swipe to the back his head with the polycarbonate weapon giving a slight pivot adding a little extra force her strike.
And then after that, she tries to bring the weapon back to guard position but who knows if he might interfere with it. Cracker Jack is still too wild with rage to be predictable right now.
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack blocks Lita's Medium Strike.
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Cracker Jack 1/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Lita
Cracker Jack rushes past Lita, the blunt blade missing his skull and instead hitting the meat of his upper back. He goes crashing face first into the cage, his hands slapping into it and gripping the metal wire mesh as he comes to a halt. He pushes himself up and spins around to face Lita, eyes narrowed. He can almost see clearly again. He looks at her, before his eyes drift to the side, at something on the ground between him and her. It's his bat. His mouth breaks from a grimace of rage into a smile, as the mood lightens up. For him, at least.
Jack leaps forward in a jump, his suit flapping around him, before he lands on his knee with his hand grabbing the bat. He stands up and takes three steps forward towards her, before he runs at her with his bat slamming left and right with diagonal slashes, over and over again, until he's out of energy to make the repeated, and quite brutal, slashing motion.
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack successfully hit Lita with Grand Slam Crusher.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-------|=======\===----\1 Lita
And as the vision finally clears, Cracker Jack goes from wild rage to brutal precision in less than the time it takes to blink. She's completely unprepared the change in demeanor and strategy. She tries to guard but she doesn't quite manage to intercept the bat with her sword. She's still able to manage at least a little damage control, keeping her vital areas protected but that being said, she's hurting a lot right now.
She slowly rises back to her feet, gritting her teeth as she tries to defiantly make her final stand.
She takes a step forward as she slashes across Cracker Jack's torso three times but with the final slash she uses the momentum of the swing to move away from him.
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack endures Lita's Triple Slash.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/---====|=======\====---\1 Lita
Cracker Jack leaves no time for Lita to be on the defensive as his assault with the bat wanes, the three slashes of the blunt edge slamming into him as he stalks after her. Jack grunts with each slash's impact, but as she spins away, he chases after her like some sort of beast out of 1950's classic horror film. "Not so fast," he hisses under his breath as he does his own counterspin to keep after Lita. His left fish lashes out at the end of the spin as his body flexes, the back of his knuckles aimed at the Delta Red operative's jaw. "HYAH!" he screams as he exhales forcefully with a shout, his body in an open pose, his left side facing Lita, bat held out dramatically to the right.
COMBATSYS: Lita dodges Cracker Jack's Turn Punch.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1 Lita
She barely has time to get out of the way as Jack pursues her but a fraction of a second is all the Delta Red Melee Specialist needs to avoid it. The fist lashes out and she dips it more like a boxer than a sword fighter.
"My turn, love," she whispers right before she proceeds to slash him in the chin as a prelude to her own series of slashes. Each brutal slash is directed either to the head to the body and the legs with the intent to brutalize bones, knock him senseless, and cause as much internal bleeding as she can before she could quite possibly go down.
When it's over, she holds the weapon out. She's breathing heavy and she looks like she's going to have trouble standing.
COMBATSYS: Lita dazes Cracker Jack with If It Bleeds I Can Kill It!
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0 Lita
Cracker Jack's eyes open wide as he feels his fist fail to connect. He gets struck in the jaw first, his head snapping upwards as his hat flies off. Then, to the left shoulder, his arm dropping with his hand opening and clutching the air as he drops to a knee. A shot to the shin, sweeping it out from under him. As he falls, he gets slammed in the stomach, puking blood as he's driven into the mat. He slams downwards and bounces off the rubber faintly, coughing up blood. Confused and unaware of whether or not it's time for the adrenaline needle, he slowly gets back to his feet, zigging and zagging as he struggles to raise his guard. He takes one step forward, and lashes out with his soccer kick, right leg flying upwards drunkenly at Lita as he attempts to renew his offense. His head pounds with pain, his jaw hanging crookedly from his face as he feels it throb.
COMBATSYS: Lita dodges Cracker Jack's Medium Kick.
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Cracker Jack 0/-------/=======|=------\-------\0 Lita
Lita is a bit sluggish but it was probably good for her that she made him somewhat... Sworddrunk? Even though she's tired, she had to smile at least having connected with some brutal attacks though part of her wishes she didn't need to show that particular attack off to the world. It was now an attack that she could be scouted on. It was more information on her than she wanted them to have. Her only comfort was that she knew it was going to happen eventually.
When the kick comes in she manages a wobbily step to the side. She forces herself to keep herself steady as she thrusts out with her polycarbonate sword trying to keep him at swords length while she tries to get herself back together.
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack fails to deflect Medium Strike from Lita with Batting Hero.
- Power fail! -
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Lita 0/-------/-----==|
COMBATSYS: Cracker Jack can no longer fight.
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Lita 0/-------/-----==|
Jack stares at Lita as blood leaks from his mouth, watching her. As the sword thrust comes in, he swings his aluminum bat out to catch it, but finds himself over reaching. The bat flies over the sword and along it, producing a rattle of metal on polycarbonite, before the sword slams directly into this throat. His eyes widen in shock as he falls backwards, choking and spluttering blood. He grasps his neck and turns onto his stomach, clawing at his throat as the world dims around him.
The audience or at the very least the tiny faction that came out in support of Lita Luwanda do not know what to think about her winning this fight. She used dirtier fighting tactics than she usually used and was more brutal than she has been seen in a public venue. She treated this fight like a war and it showed.
As for Lita herself, she's going to take a moment to catch her breath and recover from the brutal fight she had here tonight. After that, she's going to see if she can 'interview' Cracker Jack to see what she can find out about the Shadaloo.
Little does Lieutenant Luwanda know how much her life is about to change with a championship belt around her waist even though after that fight, sponsorships will probably be slow coming in at first.
COMBATSYS: Lita has ended the fight here.
Log created on 15:27:19 11/20/2015 by Lita, and last modified on 10:06:00 11/21/2015.