Match of the Millennium

Description: The Maracana Stadium may have already seen one epic battle tonight -- but now it's time for the epic battle between Mrs Beaumont and Mr Moore to see who gets the best seat in the house... to watch their kids Chevy and Hawksley put a bow on NFG's second season!

[HAWKSLEY]
"I'm telling you, Frank, there's no fecking way I can win this final." Sitting down on the wooden bench of the dressing room backstage, Hawksley Moore seems resigned to defeat as he talks to his agent Frank Rivera. Despite his words, there's a cheery expression on the Irishman's face as he swigs from his bottle of 'Lucky's Fiery Ale'.

"You're too negative, son. I'm so convinced that the Irish Inferno is going to be the champion that I've bet a considerable amount of money on you. Now how's that for confidence?" The older man says proudly, patting Hawksley on the back.

"A fool and their money are soon parted, so they are." The boxer grins, shaking his head. "Chevy is the toughest opponent I've faced in this whole wild ride and I've accepted I'm gonna spend most of the fight on my back. I'll do my damnedest to get back up again but she'll only come back for more. It's the way it goes."

He downs the rest of his ale and then pulls off the lucky green 'Lucky's Fiery Ale' t-shirt he's been wearing since the pre-fight photo shoot earlier in the day, leaving himself topless as is tradition. He's going back to his roots for this fight, with no sign of any expensive suits or hair product. His battered blue jeans and trusty white sneakers with a red trim are all the costume he needs. From the lace of his left sneaker hangs a charm depicting a bucket with a ring of flames hand-painted across it.

Frank goes to take his seat in the VIP area of the stadium, leaving Hawksley alone with his thoughts. It feels like forever since he set off on this adventure in the Spring of 2023. Back then he'd been a broken-hearted boy who'd never travelled further than London or lived outside of his mammy and da's home. Now he's found love again, been to three other continents and is looking at property websites with a view to purchasing a place of his own. No matter what bad things people have to say about the NFG, and feck knows, he's said some himself, there's no question that it's changed his life for the better. Some of the most beautiful things he's got from the experience are the friendships that he hopes will last a lifetime. He's about to face one of those dear friends in the ring and he's pretty sure Coco and Buck will be in the crowd supporting their partners too. Hopefully he and Chevy can put on as much of a performance as they had in their third place match earlier!

The familiar sound of the introduction to Go! Fight! Win! by Ash starts to play and Hawksley realises that's his cue. Making a sign of the cross, he departs the dressing room, ready to run down the tunnel that leads to the pitch of the magnificent Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro. How many football stars and rock legends have tread this path before him? Too fecking many to mention. The thought of the famous footsteps he's following in has Hawksley's heartbeat accelerating, aided further by the pre-match adrenaline.

When the Irishman exits the tunnel, he's greeted with an almighty roar from the crowd. The stadium is at full capacity and tickets for the event have been like gold dust ever since the NFG circus came to town. The Eire man feels himself overcome by emotion and he has to blink back tears from his dark brown eyes. "Ah, Jesus, would you look at that?" He mouths, liberally blowing kisses and pumping his fist at anyone who looks his way. Amidst the thousands of bodies, he can see an Irish flag flying, the familiar stripes of green white and orange warming his heart. Curious if there'll be any familiar faces in the fans from his homeland, Hawksley rushes over to get a closer look, and it's then that he sees her.

In the centre of the group and dressed in her best green dress stands Mary Moore, his beloved mammy. Her petite form is swamped by the strapping fellas standing either side of her, who Hawksley soon recognises as his da and brother, Shane. As he looks further he sees his sisters, Sharon, Sinead, Siobhan and Sammy, and there's all the lads from back home, Jimmy and Mikey the loudest of the lot. Hawksley can't help but feel that whatever happens tonight in this fight, he's already won. "I fecking love you all, you mad bastards!" He calls to his loved ones, the most beautiful beaming smile on his handsome face.

With his heart full of happiness, Hawksley turns towards the ring where the fate of the final will be decided. As the last notes of the Irish punk song finish, he positions himself in his corner and awaits the arrival of Chevy.

[CHEVY]
< Chevy, sweetheart! You're gonna do great. Just remember, don't get distracted, don't space out. You got this, alright, you hear me? >

Chevelle Beaumont drums her thumbs on her lap while her earbuds squawk with the voice of her social media agent. It's a perennial ritual that takes place before each of her fights -- one last attempt to pump her up. Each and every time, she's been a bit irritable at the obvious manipulation. But this time...

She slaps both hands against her denim-clad thighs.

"I hear you--"
"You hear me--?!"
Chevy cracks a smile.
It's the only time she's been cheerful enough to respond -without- prompting.
"Yeah, I hear you Dev. I got this! Thanks."

But just as the Farmville girl moves to hang up the call -- with the faroff sounds of a quickly-strummed guitar echoing down the halls of the stadium, one last request stirs from the tinny earbuds:
"Hey Chevs, one last thing."
"Hmmm?"
"When you walk out -- look to your left."

The opening guitar licks of Misirlou -- the song as performed by Dick Dale and the Def Tones in 1963 -- fill the stadium! After such a warm welcome for Hawksley Moore, it's clear that the producers aim to cool things off with the surf rock anthem that introduced Chevy Beaumont to the Sunshine City Rumble just a year and a half ago. And true to form -- the opposite gates to the dressing room fly open, and out surfs the North Carolinian upon a magic carpet of water!

The hoots and hollers of her adoring fans reach a fever pitch as she thunders out to the ring! Eagle-eyed fans would note that she's wearing her most-beloved fit -- a denim jacket with 'Chevy' stylized upon the back! And -- as Hawksley more or less -asked- for these pants in the last fight, the jacket is paired with matching, high-waisted and flared jeans with the words 'TEAM' and 'THUNDER' running the length of the legs, and 'THUNDER' painted across the seat. The getup might be a -bit- warm for the balmy Brazilian summer -- but there's no doubt that the waterbending hog wrestler will have a way to use the two buckets and the galvanized steel pole balanced on her left shoulder to cool things off!

True to form -- she looks to her left as she surfs down to the ring. And while she notices a big banner from the official Chevaliers community -- not to mention the Chevrolet 'bowtie' of the unofficial Chevy fangroup next to it -- it's not until she spots a particular group of fans that the freckle-faced redhead tosses her hand up in a wave.

Geraldine Beaumont, wearing a bonnet and a shoulder wrap over an airy floral print dress, waves back to her daughter, as proud as can be. And Chevy's closest Farmville friends, Daym and Jenny, flank her mother on either side, pumping their fists in beat to the rhythm. Or, well, as close as they can get with the lag time from the stadium's PA system.

For the moment, Chevy's beyond words -- though one thumb does reach up to brush the joyful tears from her eyes. It would seem that steering, at this point, is a -bit- more important, as she suddenly bucks upwards upon reaching the ring! She rides the upturned wave up, up into the air, turning an impressive somersault as the spray from the waves summons a brief, fleeting rainbow into existence! Her white gold necklace works its way free from her shirt's neckline, scintillating in the Rio sunlight for an instant before Chevy's hand reaches out to wrap around it.

A moment later, she lands with the grace of an egret on the shoals of North Carolina's Outer Banks. The crested water sloshes down a moment later -- though, rather than exploding into a messy splash of water, it spins about into a whirling ring around her feet, showing that the hayseed has been honing her waterbending craft since her last big-stage appearance!

The audience -roars- with delight, as Chevy tosses both hands into the air, jumping eagerly on the canvas mat! Her fans are excited to be here -- and she's quite possibly even *more* electrified!

"I didn't think anyone would remember that outfit!" she calls out -- though with the noise the audience is making, there's a good chance that even Hawksley wouldn't be able to hear her!

With one hand letting her necklace settle back into place, she pulls the impeccably-balanced steel pipe from her shoulders, swinging it through a lazy spin that -also- serves to fill the buckets with the contents of her spinning water ring. Twirling the pole about on her thumb, she flashes a quick thumbs-up to Hawksley -- and a wink -- as the audience roar starts to fade. "Whaddaya think, fella? You 'bout ready to light off this beast of a fight?" And in an indication of what she might mean by that -- she also pinches her thumb and forefinger as if turning a car key. How... quaint, in this day of push-start ignitions!

But it seems that at least -one- part of the crowd has been primed by her social media agent to pick up the cue. For, on that cue, many of them shout at the top of their lungs: "VROOOM! VROOOOOOM!"

That's -one- way to reclaim the runaway meme of Hawksley slashing her neck with a Jeep key...

[HAWKSLEY]
When Misirlou starts to play, Hawksley moves around to the music, making his way across the ring as he recalls viewings of Pulp Fiction as a teen. He's half finding the beat, half clowning around and clapping his hands as Chevy surfs towards him. He notes the moment the redhead has her own family reunion, happy that she's got her loved ones here too. The atmosphere in the stadium truly is electric, so why not have some thunder in the mix, courtesy of Chevy's clothing? He's certainly going to be honouring his old team by bringing the blaze.

When the waterbender lands, Hawksley does indeed struggle to hear her words over the crowd. He cups a hand to his ear and shrugs his shoulders, though the act of Chevy positioning her pipe and bucket speaks for itself. The lad's eyes twinkle with anticipation as he looks back at her, returning the thumbs up. "I'm ready whenever you are, cailin." He responds, eyes wide as he watches her incite the crowd by playing out the meme.

Never one to mind a joke at his own expense, Hawksley accepts his heel role without protest. After all, he's never gonna get to play the face when he's fighting a farm girl sweetheart like Chevy. "I thought I was gonna have to fight Abigail when I heard that vrooming." He jests, remembering the big fella with fondness. Perhaps he should catch up with him sometime.

The referee comes over, dressed in the NFG colours of red, turquoise and yellow. Producing a coin from the pocket of her shorts, she asks Hawksley to call his preference. "Heads." He decides, prompting her to throw it into the air. The Irishman follows its journey as it rises and then comes down to the canvas, wondering which way it will land!

[CHEVY]
Chevy grins back at Hawksley, idly rocking her pole back and forth. It's a testament to both their balance and her own mastery that she's able to toggle the five-quart buckets around as if they're weightless. She has her fans, and Hawksley has his -- so she's more than willing to have a bit of fun in this fight. They're both friends, after all!

And she won't be letting her guard down, despite that friendship, this time.

"Well, I'll take that as a compliment -- Abigail's a great guy!" Miss Beaumont flashes a winning smile in response, waiting with bated breath as the referee tosses the coin into the air. Though -- she's not waiting idle. The man's named 'Lucky' for a reason, after all. She brings her pole in front of her, gripping it lightly with both hands and stays light on her feet, in anticipation for whatever he might have in store for when that coin hits the canvas!

"The engines are fired up -- so let's do this!"

COMBATSYS: Chevy has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Chevy            0/-------/-------|

[HAWKSLEY]
"Heads it is." Hawksley nods, locking eyes with Chevy as she says. "Let's do this!"

With that he's kicking out at her with his left leg, giving her a good look at the charm hanging from the lace of his sneaker.

"Come on, Hawkman!" Yells Mikey Mac from the crowd. "You can do it, darling." Chimes in Mary Moore. "Hit her harder than that, lad." Liam Moore suggests. "And use your fists, like I taught you."

"Hawksley Moore, the Irish Inferno kicks things off here in this season one fighters final in Rio." Tom Bradley begins to commentate. "Let's see if he can land that leg." Adds Lou Harris.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Hawksley         0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Chevy

COMBATSYS: Chevy blocks Hawksley's Light Kick.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Hawksley         0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0            Chevy

[CHEVY]
Chevy was confident about this fight -- and her agent and many others had cautioned her that she may have been -too- confident about her odds. Fortunately for her, the hayseed is also good at listening to reason. And that is why she'd been convinced to take some time to study some of Hawksley's most recent fights.

She can't *recall* the last time the bare-knuckled brawler had thrown a *kick*.
Sure, there was that one time, but the phoenix earned every bit of that.

Stiffening her jaw, she steps backward and pivots her staff up to defend against the blow. She grunts lightly, as the kick crumples denim and sends her buckets' handles clattering, but she's able to hold her ground.

Arching an eyebrow, she asks, "Tryin' to pull one over on me, are ya?" Though -- as she asks that, she sees that the boxer is recovering from his kick -- and decides to avail herself of a momentary advantage!

Levelling her pole, she rushes in to close the gap, seeking to thrust the weapon underneath his arm -- and continue rushing -forward- to capitalize on his retreat. If she manages to catch him off-guard, she'd lift up in an attempt to use the weapon -- hydrokinetically lifted by her water-filled buckets, naturally -- to leverage him off-balance -- and either shove him towards the ropes, or onto his back!

"I've got my eyes on you, now!"

COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Chevy's Improvised Throw.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Hawksley         0/-------/------=|=------\-------\0            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"Pull one over on you?" The Cork cruiserweight asks Chevy in confusion. "I've no idea what you mean, cailin."

When his foot strikes her denim clad leg, he's not really expecting it to do much damage, since he'd not put his full weight in to it. As she hurtles towards him, Hawksley feels the pole prod his underarm, poking into the pit. Stiffening his body, he manages to prevent the pole from being used against him further and therefore stays steady on his feet.

"I should hope you have got your eyes on me. It'd be a bit mad if you didn't since we're in a brawl, like."

Stepping closer to Chevy, the Irishman comes at her with one, two, three rapid blows, all from a southpaw stance. From here he aims to follow up by flowing into a cross punch and then adding another jab for good measure.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Chevy with Cherry Bomb ES.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Hawksley         0/-------/-----==|=====--\-------\0            Chevy

[CHEVY]
Chevy blinks back at Hawksley's cold read of her insinuation. Maybe he *hadn't* intended to mix things up with a kick to throw her off her game? It's a moot point though, as by the time she's able to consider that, she is already committed to her counterattack!

... It doesn't work out so well, though! And as she draws back, she agrees with his deduction with a half-grin: "Yeah, I... cain't exactly go all 'blindfolded zen master' on you or nothin'..."

But it then Chevy finds herself flat-footed, as she's whipping her pole backwards in an attempt to make a second strike when she's suddenly confronted with a barrage of punches. Her head ratchets back -- one, two, three! -- drawing a roar of surprise from the massed crowds! Momentarily dazed, she's left wide open for two punches to slam squarely into her sternum, knocking her right off her feet! The canvas thrums like a drum as Chevy's derriere slams down a moment later!

"Urgh..." Chevy wipes the back of her hand against her bloodied nose, twisting sideways to get back to a crouching posture. With a low moan being her only response, it's clear that she really felt those punches! But she's not going to let a little bleeding stop her from giving Hawksley the fight he deserves. The air around her begins to turn a little frosty -- which helps to stanch the blood flow the tiniest bit. She swings her pole forward, bringing it level before her.

And then, she surges forward! Half ascending and half jogging, she seeks to bring the bar up to crack against Hawksley's sternum! If she makes a connection, the water will spill out of her buckets and then flash freeze against his bare skin, while she continues rising into a somersault right over his head! And then as she lands on behind him, she would try and use the momentum to whip the Irish brawler over her head so that she can then slam his body down onto the canvas!

COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hawksley with Marsh Slam EX.

[       \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Hawksley         0/-------/--=====|=====--\-------\0            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"I mean, you can wear a blindfold if you like." Hawksley laughs. "Djamila still managed to smack me around while wearing one, so she did."

As his powerful punches hit the pole fighter, the Irishman feels the impact through his fists as he connects with her body. Somewhere in the gasping crowd, Liam Moore is feeling very proud of his son for the boxing combo he just pulled off.

"A bruised arse and a bloody nose. You've had worse, cailin." Hawksley consoles Chevy as she hits the canvas. Then suddenly the ring feels a hell of a lot colder.

"Feck, the frost is back." The brawler grins, getting ready for whatever the American is gonna attack him with. Just because he's expecting something though, it doesn't mean he can deal with it when it comes. She's on him fast and furious, the sound of his sternum being struck makes a sickening crunching sound.

Before he has time to consider that damage, the Cork Cruiserweight begins to feel his bare flesh freeze, the skin on his torso turning blue. His teeth start to chatter and he has an urge to hug himself. No sooner has this desire entered his head, than he's flying up into the air like he weighs no more than a feather. Hawksley's landing is a lot heavier though and he hits the canvas with a thud, causing him to cough up some blood.

"Well aren't we the violent pair?" The jovial lad jests, somehow still smiling despite being in considerable pain. "I'm gonna need a drink to numb the pain and warm me up, so I am."

From his position on the mat, he casually pulls out a flask from the pocket of his jeans, causing some of his fans to cheer. "Now don't be giving the game away." He calls to them, pretending to protest, but it's not like he can really be that subtle about his plans. He starts to swig the contents of the slim silver vessel, swilling the whiskey around in his mouth and then parting his lips, setting the alcohol alight. Blowing the boozy flames upwards towards Chevy, he briefly resembles her tag-team partner, and indeed her boyfriend, as he begins to breathe fire!

COMBATSYS: Chevy parries Hawksley's Hedonism!!

[        \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////////////////////      ]
Hawksley         0/-------/--=====|=======\=------\1            Chevy

[CHEVY]
"I have!" Chevy isn't about to let a little nosebleed keep her from having a good time. Ever since her visit to the first Team Blaze headquarters, Hawksley had signaled his intent to pop her in the nose. So she's been ready ever since!

Something -else- that Chevy was ready for, though, was that dang metal flask. For the longest time -- or at least, since Ichika had gotten her in the habit of studying up on her opponents -- Chevy had identified the flask as the Eire brawler's opening salvo. So while he's been mixing it up lately, she's still familiar with the early warning signs.

"Heh -- you could say that!"

The word 'drink' is the only advance notice she needs. He mentions drink -- and Chevy leaps backwards, dumping her buckets' contents onto the mat with a loud splash. And as soon as he takes his swig, Chevy's already in motion, taking a running leap right onto her puddle of water -- which soon springs to life under the waterbender's command!

Chevy grins back at the audience's cheering. Fighting in front of a crowd *this* size is a rush all its own -- but tearing off *towards* the fiery blaze is an even greater thrill! She knows the risks -- she could add burn damage to her already-bloodied nose. But as she's familiar with the arc -- she swerves at the last instant, bringing up her left-hand bucket to catch the gout of flame!

*PONG!* The flames slam down, compressing the bottom of the pail! But with the way Chevy's holding the staff and thundering forward -- and releasing her grip -- it looks like she's harnessing the momentum of the strike to sling herself forward at an even faster, less predictable pace!

"Cain't stay away from that Fiery Ale, can ya?"

Chevy aims to press her body against Hawksley's less side. It's not a hug, exactly -- but she is planning to hold on tight, as her surf-powered, fireball-accelerated legs slingshot right past him! If she's able to grab hold and keep hanging on to Hawksley, she'd pull him right off his feet, spin him in a half-turn, and then fall onto him with her forearm pressed flat against his chest! She's banking on him landing so quick and so hard that he might still be spinning when his back slams against the mat!

"Whoooo!"

COMBATSYS: Hawksley interrupts Mudskipper EX from Chevy with There's A Star ES.

[         \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Hawksley         0/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"Why would I want to stay away from Lucky's Fiery Ale, when it's the perfect drink to put a spring in your step and a fire in your heart?" Hawksley responds to Chevy, seeking out the nearest camera and giving it a wink. Then under his breath. "But in that case it was Jamesons I was swigging, so it was. It's a shame you didn't fancy sharing it with me."

The Irishman is impressed with how the hayseed handles his fiery assault. She's fast on her feet and brilliant at manouvering her buckets, and that's before her pole comes in to play! He feels her press against him and senses he's likely to be sent soaring into the air sometime soon if he doesn't put a stop to it. He relaxes into her grip at first and goes with it, starting to spin. Instead of crashing down with Chevy though, he uses the momentum to free his fists and starts to form a fireball on the flat of his palm.

Hawksley swirls through the air, creating pretty patterns and lighting up the evening sky with an orange glow. As Chevy begins to descend he dives towards her, slamming his palm into her body and causing the fireball to explode.

His supporters in the stadium go wild! "Whoooo!" He echoes the redhead, feeling exhilarated by the flashy firework and their reaction.

[CHEVY]
It's one thing to grab hold of Hawksley Moore. It's something else entirely to -keep- hold of him, as it turns out -- particularly when she's taking a strike to the abdomen!

Her unattended buckets clang and clamor as they touch down. Chevy crumples under the fiery blow, steam hissing from the point of impact! "Whfff!" Knocked free, she hits the mat, bouncing twice more as she log-rolls to the side, water streaming from her and splashing into uneven pools in her path. At the end, it's the ropes that stop the hog wrestler from being flung right out of the ring, with one of her arms draped limply across the top rope.

Grimacing, she swats out the remainder of the flames with her free hand. It's easy to spot the moment in which she accidentally slaps her hidden bruise from the way her face contorts in pain. But, sucking in her breath, she decides it's time to get up. Rocking herself against the springy ropes, she uses their elastic springiness to bounce herself back to her feet! She's a bit wobbly as she regains her stance, to the tides of cheering from her 'side' of the arena. Her shirt and jacket may be scorched -- but she's still in this to win it!

She flings out both her hands, spreading her fingers wide. "Jamesons never did set just right with me..." she notes, desperation tinged within her voice as she finds her calmness within the storm of the arena's emotions

She also seems to be summoning a storm of her own, as humidity prevails where there had formerly been a frosty chill. First, one raindrop, and then ten -- and in the next moment, ten thousand!

"I'll be honest... I liked most of the drinks *Coco* shared with me." She grins cheerily, as if she'd surprised herself with the admission.

There's not much time to appreciate the sentiment though, as Chevy leans full-tilt into an all-on dash into the refreshing rainfall at the Eire lad! She leaps in and drops a bit lower, trying to wrap her arms about his waist. Holding on tight, she'd seek to use the water pooled at his feet to geyser upwards, propelling the two into airborne -- and then twist him around in mid-air so that she can drive him down to the mat, ninja Izuna Drop style!

COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hawksley with Sound Side.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Hawksley         1/----===/=======|====---\-------\0            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
The sizzling steam fills Hawksley's ears with the sound, causing the lad to shake his head to free himself of it. He watches Chevy hit the ropes and registers the pain visible on her face and present in her posture. She's a battler though and when she starts to stand he nods his head in approval.

"I don't mind a fruity drink myself from time to time." The brawler admits. "And Coco knows her way around a cocktail cabinet. She's got good taste, so she has."

As he starts to walk towards the waterbender, Hawksley feels the raindrops fall on his head, drip, drip, dripping down his face. "It feels like home." He jokes. "Just an average bit of weather on the Emerald Isle."

"You should have fetched your coat, son." Mary Moore teases from the crowd, her green eyes twinkling.

Hawksley turns to look at his mammy, but then he catches a glimpse of red hair and denim clothing dashing towards him from the corner of one of his dark eyes. Fighting to regain his focus, he struggles against Chevy's outstretched arms as she envelops him in them. She's got a good solid grip of the boxer this time and there's no breaking free as he goes on a water ride with her!

The going up is kinda fun but the crashing down? Feck that hurts. Hawksley holds his head in his hands as he tries to stop it throbbing. "Jesus, cailin. You're super strong, so you are." If this were a cartoon, he'd be seeing stars.

Struggling back to his feet, Hawksley forces a smile for his fans as he tries to steady himself by using the ropes for support. He's careful not to stay by them for too long though and starts to walk towards Chevy with a look of intensity. His movement is slow and somewhat laborious initially but then he starts to pick up the pace, breaking into a jog as he bends down and attempts to sweep her off her feet! If he's able to succeed in picking the pole fighter up, Hawksley will attempt to hurl her across the ring.

COMBATSYS: Chevy blocks Hawksley's Fast Throw.

[               \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Hawksley         1/----===/=======|=====--\-------\0            Chevy

[CHEVY]
The fight is really starting to heat up now, with both fighters trading heavy hits with one another! Each slam onto the mat not only gets the ring supports buckling, but also brings about a loud roar from the audience. The Chevaliers have been on the edges of their seats: they're not used to seeing their favorite farm girl so badly injured so quickly!

Chevy seems to be taking it all in stride. She knows Hawksley hits hard -- and she's doing everything she can to stay on top of that. Springing back to her feet after that slam, she takes a moment to collect up her pails and pole and fill them with fresh rainwater.

"It takes one to know one, Hawksley! Though, it ain't -all- too different from rasslin' hogs out on the farm..." Of course, those porcine pals are a -bit- more massive than your average fighter.

Still -- while she's keeping an eye on Hawksley's approach, she doesn't have much confidence in her ability to pull him out of his dash. So instead of leaping out of his path, she pulls pole inwards and braces for the grapple, letting Hawksley get his arms around her. And when he attempts to hurl her away, she releases her pole, letting the weight in her pails counteract the motion before she can reach those ropes. "Almost!"

Of course -- as she -lands- a moment later, her pole looks to be a little wobbly at first, as the water from those buckets spills out onto the mat! The fact is, though -- it's all a set up for her mobile artillery platform. As she lowers herself down, she twists the pole as if she were pedaling a bike with her hands. More importantly for Hawksley, this means that she's firing a barrage of rapid-fire water bolts is being hurled his way, rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!

COMBATSYS: Hawksley blocks Chevy's Rinse Cycle.

[                \\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Hawksley         1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"It's not the first time I've been called a pig." Hawksley admits. "Also a dog, and a cock." He recalls with an amused expression. "I'm probably a bit less dirty than the hogs though. At the moment anyway."

As he rushes towards her, Hawksley clocks that Chevy is standing her ground rather than getting the hell out of his way. A bold and brave move and she handles it beautifully. He holds on to her tightly but is unable to lift her off the ground, as she works gravity to her advantage with the use of her pole and pails. Grinning at her as she says. "Almost." He releases her from his grip, watching to see what her next move will be.

Water splashes over his sneakers and he feels thankful that they're leather rather than canvas. Chevy's hands get busy and Hawksley throws up his own hands to fend off the barrage of water blasts coming his way. "Well I'll be even more clean now." He calls, wincing as he shakes his hands out. His actions protected his body from the brunt of the damage Chevy could have done, but the pugilist is now feeling the effects on his fists. Focusing his energy on them, his inner fire travels through his upper limbs and settles there, starting to soothe his discomfort.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley focuses on his next action.

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Hawksley         1/---====/=======|======-\-------\0            Chevy

[CHEVY]
Chevy hears the names Hawksley said he'd been called. And, since she doesn't want to throw off her game, she sets her jaw to keep from snickering and/or commenting on that.

Her artillery barrage probably stings a -bit- more against Hawksley's hands than the rainfall from above. But once she's fired off a half-dozen shots, the farm girl decides to try a change in tactics, plucking her pole up and drawing back a couple steps.

Her auburn hair is drenched, along with the collar and shoulders of her jacket. Her shirt still has -some- dry patches, somehow, but the rest of her damp denim begins to shimmer in the arena's lighting as she begins to twirl her pole around by her right side.

"I'll bet you still smell like Jameson's though!" The hayseed winks back at Hawksley, taking careful note of his caution. In an earlier time, she might have charged in to further destabilize him. But now... she decides to give Hawksley a moment to sort things out.

It isn't to say she's standing idle though. The rain seems to show no signs of ceasing. And the water that falls around her begins to gravitate into a ring of sorts -- one that starts thin, but eventually begins to create a rather noticeable moat around her feet. The water sloshes and froths around, proportionally to the spin of Chevy's bespoke weaponry.

And through it all, she gives Hawksley a broad grin. "This here's the *fun* part of the fight, Hawksley. Where we each laid some hurt on one another. And the biggest question is in what's comin' *next!*"

Her right hand is busy conducting the accumulated water into proper order. Her left hand extends towards Hawksley, palm-up. And then she lifts her fingers as one, beckoning him forward like an old kung-fu master from the movies she'd watched as a little girl!

COMBATSYS: Chevy gets ready to turn the tide!

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////           ]
Hawksley         1/---====/=======|=======\===----\1            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"I can see you trying not to laugh there, cailin." Hawksley teases Chevy, his lips curling up at the corners. Rubbing his hands together as the soothing heat does the trick, the Irishman feels himself start to relax again, but not enough to lower his guard.

Like his opponent, the dark-haired lad is dripping wet, but with his short locks and bare skin it's likely less obvious. "Why don't you come closer and check for yourself?" He challenges Chevy as she comments on his scent. No sooner are the words out of his mouth than a mischievous look appears in his eyes.

As the rain continues to pour down on the pair of fighters, Hawksley watches its progress, observing the puddle it forms at the farmgirl's feet. "Oh don't you worry, cailin. I'm having plenty of fun." He beams back. "As for what's coming next..."

His hand reaches into his pant's pocket in a split second and pulls out that slim silver flask again. As he's beckoned forward by the waterbender, he shakes his head and instead launches the metal container towards her!

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Chevy with Thrown Object.
- Power hit! -

[                 \\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Hawksley         1/--=====/=======|=======\======-\1            Chevy

[CHEVY]
The real lesson here is that Chevy needs to be careful what she wishes for. In goading Hawksley to attack her, the hayseed seems to have encouraged him to be -more- cautious rather than less. And by wrinking her nose at the scent of Jameson's... well, she's just gotten him to throw the flask of it at her.

Unfortunately for her, her right hand is in the wrong position to defend against the flask, and the left one is a split-second late; the metal container beans her right in the forehead! Chevy's head snaps backward for an instant. The watery ring fluctuates in sync with her unplanned motion. And for a moment, it really looks like she might topple over backwards...!

But, then she remembers to make use of her buckets' mass, swinging them forward to regain her balance. A white rectangle has been impressed into her forehead -- though it turns red after a moment as the blood rushes back in!

She wrinkles her nose in mild (albeit playful) disgust. "Great, now *I* smell like Jameson's..."

But, now... she sets her jaw, and focuses on battle. The ring of water rushes forward with her, as she breaks into a sudden run at Hawksley! Water splashes at her feet, each step boosting her speed faster than the last! Swapping her staff to her left hand in mid stride, she coils her hands backwards...

And then the waters leap upwards, splitting into twinned columns that wrap themselves around her hands, forming giant mitts of water! The waterbender then reaches out to grab hold of Hawksley's shoulder and hip -- and if she can, she'd lift him right off his feet with her hydrokinetically-boosted strength, bringing him around for a slam into the mat! But she'd hold on for the moment -- lifting him up -again-, before causing a violent eruption with her mitts, launching Hawksley in a violent -sideways- trajectory towards the nearest turnbuckle and ropes!

COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hawksley with Spout Toss.

[                      \\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////               ]
Hawksley         2/<<<<<<</<<<<<<<|=======\=------\1            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"SMACK!" The metal flask hits poor Chevy clean, causing a loud clunking noise that Hawksley can hear from where he's standing at the other side of the ring. When the waterbender starts to wobble, he thinks he might have knocked her out cold, but soon those buckets come back into play, aiding her in keeping herself steady.

"There's worse things to smell like than Jamesons, cailin." Hawksley claims with a cheery expression. "Hog shit for example, and I'm sure you've rolled in that plenty."

As Chevy regains her composure, Hawksley knows there's no way she won't come after him now. Bouncing from one foot to the other, the brown-eyed boxer braces himself for something brutal. He sees her break into a run and for a second she seems like a blur to him. When the water whooshes upwards shaping around its mistress, Hawksley feels himself being thrust upwards with great force.

He lets out a loud grunt of protest and prepares himself for a whole lotta pain as he crashes down onto the canvas face first. Blood starts to spurt from his bust lip and he licks it away, tasting the familiar metallic and sweet mix of his own bodily fluid. She's not done with him yet though. He can still feel her arms around him as he's thrown once again, this time to ricochet against the ropes, then fall backwards on to his soon to be bruised backside.

Hawksley turns to look at Chevy, wiping away a trickle of blood from his chin with the back of his hand. "You're on fire." He compliments her, starting to stand up. "Or is that me?"

Closing his eyes, the Irishman clenches his fists as fire starts to form around his fit frame. It flows down his arms intensifying when it reaches his fists and setting his whole hands ablaze. He opens his eyes again and crouches down low, before leaping forwards and upwards, rising so high that he seems to be hovering above Chevy. From this position he throws a fiery fist into her face, looking to land an uppercut to her chin.

COMBATSYS: Hawksley successfully hits Chevy with Shining Light ES.

[                        \\\\\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Hawksley         0/-------/<<<<<<<|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2            Chevy

[CHEVY]
Chevy can't hold back the laughter when she hears the words 'hog shit' from Hawksley's mouth. Even if her mother *is* unlikely to hear it due to the way acoustics work at this scale.

Moments later, though, with Hawksley airborne, she pulls her elbows back, clenching her watery mitts into giant fists -- which draws a sigh of relief from the more devoted members of the Chevaliers community! Though, as she swings her pole backwards -- still clutched in her left-hand mitt -- she points a globby finger at her opponent!

"That's offsides an' you know it, Hawksley Moore! It ain't like I'm takin' baths in the stuff!"

Of course... then Hawksley notes that she's on fire. Which has her glancing down at herself in a brief instant of panic, only for her to confirm that she isn't, yet, on fire. "Oh. Well, yeah, it might just be you," she notes, once the Eire man sets himself afire. She grits her teeth, as the waterbender ceases the rainfall and turns the rest of her attention into making her mitts swell up in defense.

Hawksley leaps in. And Chevy thrusts her water-shrouded hands in the path of the boxer's flaming fist! And for her, time seems to slow down as the two elementally-augmented hands push past each other. The Blaze graduate's fist plunges through a sheer wall of the Thunder alumni's hands as she tries to oppose his might with her own. It seems as if her strategem might work... until she hears the pop-pop of water molecules flash-heated to their boiling point! Panic grows on her face...

But to the audience, it only takes an instant. Hawksley's fist plunges right past the gatekeeping pole and though the water -- which erupts into a cloud of steam -- as it continues on to smash right into Chevy's jaw, carrying her airborne with its sheer velocity!

Pain lances through Chevy's nerve endings as she's launched upwards. The roars of the audience lurch around her as the room starts to spin. Blackness crowds into her field of vision as her eyelids begin to shut. But through it all, she can hear the cries of her Chevaliers, and the shouts of her family and friends.

And they wouldn't want her to give up now! Not so close to the end!

Moments later, she lands on her feet -- with her only -barely- able to use her pole to keep her from just falling over outright! But even then, she stumbles backwards for a half-second until the ropes give her a reassuring hug from behind. Panting, and wild-eyed, she swings her buckets forward, using the momentum to swing herself free from the ropes!

"Nnnrgh! Fire, nothin'! You hit like a ragin' locomotive!"

She doesn't stop with just one swing, though! The hog wrestling hydromancer swings her buckets forward again, her steps halting and lurching to show her reliance on the heavy weapons! When she takes another step forward, though...

She suddenly slings the buckets *up*, akin to how the killer android in that one movie reloads his shotgun one-handed. With her hands coordinating perfectly, she's able to send one water-filled bucket slamming into the other with a loud *CLANK!*

Up in the crowds, Daym's eyes widen. "She's using Riptide!"
Chevy's mom leans over. "Why'd she g'woff and call it that?"
"Oh... that's what the fans call it, Miss B!"
Jenny explains -- "'cause if someone gets caught, they get drug out to sea..."

And in Chevy's next step forward, she slashes the double-bucket weapon like a hammer, as if cleaving a warhammer across Hawksley's body!

The thing is -- she's hoping to -miss-, as her real attack is to leap forward and grab for Hawksley's leading wrist -- and then use the angular momentum of her swinging 'hammer' to tug the grabbed Irelander's arm sharply to his right -- and pitch him shoulder-first into the mat!

COMBATSYS: Hawksley fails to interrupt Riptide EX from Chevy with Numbskull.

[                           \\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Hawksley         1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2            Chevy

COMBATSYS: Hawksley has reached second wind!

[                           \\\  < >  ///////                       ]
Hawksley         1/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>>>>>>>\2            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
The accusation of Hawksley being offsides doesn't seem to bother the brawler one bit. From the amused look on his face, he's finding the whole exchange fecking hilarious.

Things are about to switch genres from comedy to drama however, as the eternal battle of fire and water is brought to Brazil's most epic stadium. As things get steamy between the two fighters, the fiery fella secures a flaming hit on the hayseed, smacking her chin with full force and sending her flying!

The volume of the crowd intensifies, as the Irishman's fans go wild with excitement and the Carolinian's crew call out in protest and encouragement.

When Chevy compares Hawksley to a train, he's back to bantering. "Choo Choo!" He cries. He can't afford to mess around too much though, as he's got that pesky pole and buckets to be dealing with, and more importantly, the waterbender wielding them.

With a combination of skill and strength, Chevy coordinates her assault perfectly. Hawksley recognises this attack from the redhead and he can't afford to let her execute it. The makeshift weapon comes swinging in but instead of getting the hell out of the way, he instead rushes towards it! Long term fans of the lad may recognise this reckless behaviour from The Rumble in Sunshine City, when he'd headbutted Nixie's bombs into the crowd. Thankfully for those seated in the Macarena stadium, there's no explosives involved this evening.

Hawksley had been seeking to smash his forehead into the buckets to bat them out of the way, but instead he simply hits them hard, dazing himself and allowing Chevy to be able to manoeuvre him around like a ragdoll. She can easily grab his wrist and launch him wherever she pleases.

When he first lands, he lays there still, looking for all the world like his fire has been put out. The referee starts to approach but it's not long before his dark eyelashes flutter open and he's soon staring up at Chevy with his brown eyes. "I'm not dead yet, cailin." He informs her, his speech slurring slightly. "You're gonna have to hit me harder."

[CHEVY]
Chevy's eyes go wide when she hears the sound of her buckets denting inward! In all truth, she hadn't -meant- to El Kabong him with those -- it actually works against the momentum she was planning to use to drag him off balance! But it does serve the purpose of stunning him long enough for her to improvise a takedown that starts with her spinning her shoulder into the crook of his elbow.

As she rolls to safety across him, she lifts her pole and buckets to her left side, pivoting to let her gaze fall across him once more. "Ooh, sorry about that, Hawksley... I weren't exactly *tryin'* to whap you with those..." As someone who wears her emotions on her sleeves, she's sincere when she admits that -- even though her sleeves *are* sopping wet at the moment.

But when he admits he's not dead -- and urges her to hit him again, she looks completely horrified at the thought! "I... I ---"

After about three seconds of staring back into his eyelid-fluttering, she cracks a smile, nearly on the verge of laughter. One hand raises to brush rain-slick forelocks away from her eyes. "Aww, hush! You're mommickin' me, you are!"

Shaking her head, she takes a few quick backpedaling steps away. She's not taking her eyes off him at all, even as she gets to the ropes behind her.

"You best quit the act an' pick yourself up, Hawksley..." The hayseed's practically aglow as she leans her pole and one shoulder into the ropes, stretching them out firm and taut.

"'cause this is your last chance!"

She lets go -- and the ropes catapult her forward at Hawksley! The buckets outpace her -- with water splashing out in twin crescents to either side of her path. But -- perhaps surprisingly -- the water hits the mat before she does, twin rivers racing past Hawksley beside his feet!

"It's time to sink or swim!"

The hog wrestler continues charging forward -- leading with her left forearm as a battering ram, but also reaching for his left shoulder with her hand! If she knocks him off his feet, there'll be a torrent of water waiting to catch the two fighters and spin them around in a dizzying funnel! After three quick spins -- Hawksley may just find himself ejected from the ride!

COMBATSYS: Chevy successfully hits Hawksley with King Tide.
? Strange Hit! ?

[                                < >  ////////                      ]
Hawksley         1/---====/=======|>>>>---\-------\0            Chevy

[HAWKSLEY]
"No need to say sorry, cailin." Hawksley reassures Chevy. He's sounding slightly drunk still, but it's more from being punched than drinking punch on this occasion. "I threw myself at the fecking buckets like a mad man, so as my mammy would say, I've only got myself to blame. Wouldn't you, mammy?" He calls out to her, though it's likely lost amidst the loud cheering from the Chevaliers.

When the farmgirl figures out he's joking about his demise, Hawksley looks back at her, his bashed up face breaking into a smile. "I may be mommickin' you just a bit, cailin, but what's new?"

As Chevy shakes her head, the Irishman gets himself yet another shower, feeling the drips drop on to his chiselled chest. Then as she suggests, he starts to rise, watching the waterbender whilst she positions herself and her pole against the ropes.

"My last chance you say?" No sooner do the words leave his lips than he realises the redhead is right. There's no way this will be the final brawl that the Irishman finds himself in, fighting is in his blood, but he won't get another opportunity to become a NFG champion after this evening. His mind is filled with images of the first tournament back in Southtown, where he'd got past John Doe, Coco and Djamila to make it through to the final, only to be defeated by the goblin girl, Nixie. He'd thought at the time there'd be other opportunities, but now here he is at the end of this beautiful and bizarre journey he's been on.

"It's time to sink or swim!" He hears, recognising the wisdom in Chevy's words. She's right, he's gonna go ahead and win this thing or go down in a blaze of glory.

She's on him fast, but the water comes first. He shoots a glance down at his feet, seeing it splash on the mat. By the time he looks back up, the former Thunder fighter has stormed in. "BAM!" She smashes him in the face, adding a broken nose to his busted lip. He tries to use his weight against her, looking to body block her before she can do any more damage. Her hand fixes firmly on his shoulder though and down he goes again.

An old song floods into his brain as he goes on his wet and wild ride and he starts to sing it. "I'm so dizzy my head is spinning. Like a whirlpool it never ends. And it's you girl making it spin, you're making me dizzy." That funny fella who's on that show where they try and guess who's fibbing was in the video. He forgets his name though and it hurts to think right now. He finds himself flying right out of the ring, over the ropes to land in the lap of Lou 'Loverboy' Harris.

"Oh sorry there, fella." Hawksley blinks at him. "I think I got a bit lost there and ended up outside the ring." Using the commentator as a crutch, he struggles to a standing position and somehow makes it back to the ropes, pulling himself up till he's actually on top of them.

From this elevated position, he looks down towards Chevy, swearing she's suddenly got a twin. "The question is, which one of you is real?" He wonders. He closes his eyes, trying to centre himself, and this time when he looks back at her, she's strong, steady and standing solo. "This has been so fecking fun." He tells her, before leaping forwards from the top of the ropes!

When he lands he hits the canvas hard and a circle of fire starts to form around he and Chevy, causing the crowd to gasp. As the flame flickers, Hawksley's facial features seem to glow in the light, causing someone in the crowd (perhaps it's Coco) to call out "Zombie!"

Summoning every ounce of energy he's got left in his body, the man from Eire dashes forwards, seeking to deliver a lightning-fast punch to send Chevy falling backwards through the fire wall. No sooner has he struck out, than he falls down himself, surrendering to the siren call of the canvas as it provides a comfortable resting place. "Thanks for the memories, cailin." He murmurs. "It's been emotional."

COMBATSYS: Hawksley has reached third wind!

[                           \\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Hawksley         0/-------/---<<<<|>>>>---\-------\0            Chevy

It seems like he stays there forever, but in reality it's only a fraction of a second before he feels himself snap back into conciousness. He starts to sit up, the sounds of the crowd swarming his ears. They seem to be shouting out in slow motion, slightly distorted like in a horror movie. He tries to make out familiar faces but he can't seem to focus fully at first. When he finally does, his eyes seek out Chevy.

COMBATSYS: Chevy counters Burn Baby Burn from Hawksley with High Tide EX.

[                                < >  ///////                       ]
Hawksley         0/-------/-<<<<<<|=======\-------\0            Chevy

[CHEVY]
The song is before her time -- and it's doubtful whether even her Paw or Momma would have remembered it. But one thing that has always impressed her about Hawksley is how he's able to stay in such a good mood -- even as a lass who isn't his girlfriend is pressing him into a raging maelstrom -- and even as he's hurtling towards the announcer's desk, apparently!

Chevy's eyes go wide at the result -- she'd -thought- he'd go right into the ropes, but apparently not! "Oh, no! I... I weren't tryin' to get'cha Lou -- sorry!!" One hand claps over her mouth, as her other hand lowers the pole to the mat so she can usher some water back into the buckets. There's quite a few camera flashes going off to capture the sight of the unplanned ring departure! Not to mention the opportunity of a contrast to a weary Chevy with a completely saturated, mostly-transparent shirt. Her chin is turning a fair shade of purple -- and from the way she's wobbling, she probably -shouldn't- be fighting fit for too much longer, herself...

But, Hawksley's return to the ring draws a wince from the hayseed. "Aww jeez, be nicer to Mr Lou!" Her buckets slosh about as she rises back to her full height, gripping her pipe with both hands. Though, when the question is asked, she snickers and nods her head to the right: "That one!" She's not above a little mommicking of her own.

And as soon as Hawksley lands, a shudder runs down her spine. It's not just fire... It's the *ring* of fire! Chevy gasps for breath, having a good sense of what's coming next!

"Yeah... it's been a blast, Hawksley!"

A spike of adrenaline shoots through her veins, and time once again slows to a crawl. The tip of her pipe pushes against the canvas of the ring, squeaking ever so slightly from the moisture. She sees Hawksley's feet leave the ground, showing his commitment to the attack. Clocking his trajectory, she pivots aside and away, using the pole and buckets as a support. She plants the ball of her foot to her side, bracing herself... And when Hawksley's fist -would- have collided with her sternum, it instead whistles right past her left shoulder, the speed so hot it blasts out mist in its wake.

And then cold, galvanized steel presses firmly into the inside of Hawksley's elbow, forcing him insistently off balance. In the next instant, Chevy is snapping forward, placing the chilled fingers of her right hand against the oblique muscles just over his hip. And in the very next moment, she tightens her grip -- and lifts upward, swinging Hawksley to the side like a barn door!

The wall of flames ebbs from the sudden gust of air pressure -- but those flames are still standing tall, with Hawksley landing sideways on the mat -just- inside of the ring, courtesy of Chevy's rapid displacement.

Panting, she draws backwards, planting her second hand upon the pipe once again. She draws in her breath -- as if only now realizing how tired she is!

"I might have to give ol' Jameson another try once we're done here, Hawksley. It sure seems like it's got you fired up!"

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley doesn't find it hard to feel happy when he's fighting, even when he's hurting as bad as he is now. It's one of the things in life that makes him feel most alive and the adrenaline produced by participating in a punch-up counteracts any pain and discomfort he feels. Right now he's on a high and even knowing at some point soon there'll be a comedown doesn't crush his spirits.

"You're very generous to Lou, considering all the trash he's talked about you in this competition." Hawksley comments to Chevy. "Although to be fair to the fella, he's been a lot kinder recently."

By now he's realised that his fist didn't find the farmgirl and in a strange way, the cold steel pressing against him is somewhat soothing, since the Irishman can still feel the intense heat in the ring. Chevy's chilling touch find its target and Hawksley's hot bare skin lets out a sizzle with the contact. As he looks back up at her from the canvas, he nods at her in agreement. "I'll give you a taste of some Jameson's Bow Street from my magic mug. First things first though.

Testing out whether he can still stand, Hawksley manages to do so without toppling over. "So what do you say, Chevy? Another one for the road?" Climbing back up on the ropes again, Hawksley holds on to them as he starts to bounce up and down with a devilish look in his dark eyes. "Coming ready or not." He calls, before launching himself off them into a diving kick aimed at the hayseed's head!

COMBATSYS: Hawksley can no longer fight.

[                       \\\\\\\  <
Chevy            0/-------/=======|

COMBATSYS: Chevy dodges Hawksley's Diving Kick.

[                       \\\\\\\  <
Chevy            1/-------/=======|

[CHEVY]
Lou -has- been kinder to Chevy -- and it might have had something to do with the majority of the NFG contingent getting marooned on an island together. "Haha... yeah! Well, he apologized, so that's a thing!"

But there are some wounds that are still... fresh. Like a certain -someone- bound to Hawksley who just couldn't keep her big mouth shut in the fight that took place right before this one. Someone who Chevy is definitely -expecting- an apology from! But who knows if she'll actually get one?

For right now, though, Chevy lists sideways. Even with the farm girl's mastery over the water in those buckets, the bespoke weaponry is hanging a bit lower than it usually does. Fatigue catches up fast in the ring -- and when Hawksley finds the strength to rise to his feet -again-, Chevy straightens up as best she can, and answers with a weary smile. "Dang! Still in this to win it, ain'tcha? I'm impressed!"

Once she sees him climb up on the ropes though, a mix of trepidation and anxiety washes over her face. There's still a good chance that Hawksley's last-ditch attack can knock her down -- and there's no guarantee that the hog wrestler will be able to roll out of it to safety! She braces her pole in a steady stance, ribcage heaving as she bolsters the will to keep on fighting...

"I'm ready for ya..."

And then -- the audience falls silent. Watching, waiting! And in the silence that ensues -- Hawksley leaps into the air, springing from the turnbuckle...

Chevy curls the pole close to her chest, diving into a tumble at the very last moment possible! As she rolls to safety, she can still feel the heat blistering across her as Hawksley thunders past!

Popping up into a half crouch, she pivots about to face Hawksley again -- and brings her pole out for balance, preparing herself to strike again. But ... the audience's resumed cheering lets her know that the chance of Hawksley rising again may be much less than before...

The hayseed slowly rises, with the assistance of her pole as she'd used it before. Water sloshes as she stands up, squinting back towards Hawksley. She smiles, wiping the sweat and rainwater from her brow with the back of her sleeve. She watches him warily -- and then looks to the fight officials.

The bell ding-ding-dings! And the exhausted hayseed lets her buckets slam down onto the mat, a splash allowing a good third of the water to spill out onto the ring.

"Whew... now *that* was a fight if I ever saw one! Took me right up to the edge, you did!"

She breathes a long sigh of relief. Looking to the audience -- to her fellow fighters in the audience, to Hawksley's family and friends, then her own and the Chevaliers. All the people who supported her this whole time -- and some, of course, who provided her the challenges she needed to grow stronger. She beams with an inner light, knowing that this is just one of many hurdles to cross.

She turns to look at Hawksley, watching with anticipation. He may be an opponent -- but he's also a good friend.

One hand reaches up to the chain around her neck -- to pull out the white gold necklace she'd received as a Christmas gift the year before. She rubs her thumb across the finish -- and smiles.

COMBATSYS: Chevy lets the tide wash out.

[                       \\\\\\\  <
Chevy            1/-------/=======|

COMBATSYS: Chevy has ended the fight here.


[HAWKSLEY]
As Hawksley flies through the air with the farmgirl in his sights, he hears her say she's ready for him. He knows it's a reckless move he's making but the brawler's philosophy in life is more about leaping than looking first and he figures even if he crashes and burns at the climax of this fight then there's no shame at all in losing to a formidable fighter like Chevy. He fixes his eyes on her as he kicks out at her battered body but all he finds is air, and then soon after, the canvas.

For the third time in the match Hawksley can feel himself fading. As he rests on the ring floor, he drifts in and out of consciousness. He tries to push up again but his body isn't willing. He's given everything he has to this battle and he finally accepts that it's done. The sound of the crowd stops him from slipping under totally. He can hear the warm Irish voices of his loved ones, expressing their pride in his performance. As the bell rings out to signal the final nail in the coffin of the Cork Cruiserweight's title shot, he turns to look at Chevy and sees her smiling, and he smiles too. "Enjoy this. You deserve every second of your success." Then with a cheeky after comment. "I almost had you though."

[TANWEN]
The sound system starts to blare with triumphant music as Tom and Lou, the latter having taken a quick moment for a change into a clean, identical outfit after the collision with a certain Irish brawler earlier in the match, start to make their way up to the ring. Tom is carrying a microphone while Lou is holding in his hands the trophy of the season championship. It's made of faintly turquoise crystal with the faces of all of the NFG fighters (save a certain redacted participant) carved into it in subtle relief, the words below etched in its surface:

New Fighting Generation

Season Two Champion

It rests on a golden stand.

Meanwhile, backstage, a group of uniformed officers push past technicians, flashing Interpol badges as they go.

"Ladies and gentlemen and all of our other friends, you have your Season Two Champion... Chevelle Beaumont!" Tom announces as Lou pushes the trophy into Chevy's hands, drones catching the event from every angle.

"Congrats, Chevy," Lou says in a stage whisper, smiling.

Strangely, Tom seems to be perspiring rather heavily despite his well-documented adaptation to wearing suits in all weather. Nevertheless, he continues on. "Tell us, Chevy, what are your initial thoughts in this moment, having won the season in front of your friends and family and all of your fans?"

The microphone is thrust toward Chevy's face to offer her a chance to speak, when suddenly --

"Oh no," Tom says, the words caught on the mic.

"Captain Perez, Interpol Buenos Aires Regional Division." The man flashes his badge as other officers join him in the ring, all cameras turning their way as they approach the winner and the commentators. He looks at Chevy, then at Tom, then finally at Lou. Another officer, this one wearing the uniform of Rio de Janeiro police, starts speaking. "Lou Harris, I am placing you under arrest pursuant to a case of criminal conspiracy. You will be deported in cooperation with Interpol to be tried in your home country."

The rest of what's said is drowned out by the commotion in both the audience and in the ring as Lou initially tries to escape, but resigns himself once his way is blocked by more police, soon finding himself in handcuffs as shock and bewilderment spread throughout the seats.

"Hey! That's not very nice!" Tanwen says as she's thwarted in her attempts to join her Team Atlantis partner in victory celebration by the crowd of cops and camera crew.

[CHEVY]
"Thanks, Hawksley. You near 'bout did, too."

The hayseed is so full of emotions right now. Not to say that it isn't a natural state of existence for her, but hearing the whole arena erupt in cheers and applause and crying her name... It's something else entirely! The worst part is, it seems that each way she turns, someone seems to be steadily advancing towards her! So many people! So many people to smile awkwardly at!

At least she recognizes Tom and Lou! She'd received an award from them before, of course, but... there's a world of difference between getting a trophy on a mostly deserted island and getting one in the midst of a several-thousands-strong audience in a world famous arena! She holds in place -- even in her starstruck state she's able to realize how running towards them would be its own logistical challenge. She's gives a little curtsy before accepting the trophy; remembering her manners should keep her momma proud. And then she turns towards the obvious cameras, her smile rivalling the shiny trophy for brightness!

"Thanks everyone! I cain't tell y'all how happy I--"

Her words trail off, as all the attention is pulled right out from under her by the arrest of her friendly announcer! Alarm begins to set in, as Chevy stares back at Lou.

"... I mean, as... the... new... Season Two Champion! And the person with the loudest mic in the whole dang arena, I wanna get everyone to just settle right on down!"

There's a high-pitched whine of audio feedback at Chevy's particular pitch of inflection! But... Her words nonetheless have a measurable effect, as the room falls silent! Mostly. Even the police officers freeze in their tracks, uncertain of risking the wrath of the mob.

Clearing her throat, she continues in a more controlled, ladylike tone.

"I wanna say thank you. To everyone. For comin' out to support us in this big ol' experiment. To P-F-W, for gettin' this whole shebang together. To Momma, for raising me right. To my Paw, for teachin' me all about bar brawlin'. To Buck Finley -- for bein' the biggest sweetheart even if that snake-faced bit *does* freak me out every single time. To Ichika Kasumoto, for bein' my first and bestest friend to come out of this whole thing. To Hawksley Moore, for showin' me there's more to a fight than just breaking bones. And to Coco, for bein' the bestest, poshest rival a girl from the sticks could ever have. And Tanwen -- bless her heart -- for makin' sure we all know what's nice and what ain't."

She cracks a smile. Folks are getting nervous -- particularly with the -arrest- that's taking place! -- and she knows her fifteen minutes of fame are dwindling rapidly!

"I'm gettin' rushed -- there's so many more people to thank! Like Daym and Jenny, and my agent Dev, an' Iris an' Kenzo an' Braun an'--" Wilting under further pressure from the Interpol agents, she seems like she's about to pop! "-- Rrgh, just... hang on y'all, I just got one more thing to say!"

She turns to Tom -- then the Interpol officer.

"Now, I love the idea of the N-F-G. It was a great idea. But P-F-W put us in a lot of danger they didn't have to -- both first season -and- this'un. -- Tom and Lou were the ones who got us through the island safe and sound. So whatever you got against Lou, I'm callin' it now -- it's offsides!"

There's a small round of cheering that erupts, for that, as Chevy turns towards the camera, once again. "But y'all just set tight. We'll get this all straightened out, I know it." She swallows her breath -- knowing that right after she finishes her statement all heck could break loose.

"Thanks to everyone for believin' in us. And in me."

And with that, she hands the mic to Tom -- tears welling up in her eyes, but a proud smile all the same.
Crowd noise slowly rises in volume again, as Lou Harris is led to the exit. Who knows what will happen next?

. . . TO BE . . . CONTINUED ?

Log created on 16:05:04 01/29/2025 by Chevy, and last modified on 16:10:17 02/12/2025.