Description: It's an All-American Showdown just in time for a (belated) 4th of July bash! Beloved All-American Cowgirl "Lightning Spangles" clashes with the darker face of American in Vyle. Crowd Participation is at a high when Lightning Spangles' posse comes in to help celebrate the spirit of American Cooperation and Consumerism, but is it enough? (Winner: Vyle)
"YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAW!"
Tonight, in the Masters Stadium, was AMERICA. The White Arena, normally done in the style of a traditional dojo ring, was done up in full American regilia. Great Red White And Blue tapestries rolled down the walls. Sparklers were not only optional, but manditory, and handed out in full amounts. A great projector was put in play, showing a digital fireworks display. A Sousa band was playing 'Stars and Stripes Forever,' filling the entire arena with full AMERICAN.
And who would be better than for this patriotic display than Lightning Spangles herself.
Astride a white stallion, Lightning Spangles rides into the center stage. Dressed in her full cowgirl outfit, with white chaps, blue jeans, red vest, and sequined with stars, stripes, and metallic lightning bolts, she pulls her horse up alongside. "WHOA BOY!" She exclaims, before performing a leaping dismount. "YEEEEEHAAAAW!" Turning to the crowd, she gives a salute. "HOWDY Y'ALL! I'm Lightning Spangles, the All-AMerican Heroine!"
"Can I get a Yee-Haw!?"
And her opponent? Well, it was hard to get more uber patriotic than Lightning Spangles, with Red White and Blue EVERYWHERE. But....hey. Is that John Phillip Sousa's 'Stars and Stripes Forever'?
Indeed it is! And marching out from one of the aisles leading up to the fighting grounds themselves, the normally obnoxiously colored luchador Vyle, wearing....a marching band outfit? Indeed, complete with the high Shako-style hat, the wrestler marches down the aisle, baton bouncing in his hand in tune with the march....
Until he tears open the marching outfit, wearing a red, white, and blue version of his usual wrestling costume. And somehow...he makes it look just as obnoxious despite the more subdued coloration. And the march? Quickly replaced by...
o/` TWO TAPES IN THE DECK, SET TO DUB OVER, PRESS RECORD AND ABSORB THE SUBCULTURE! o/`
Yep, his usual theme blares for him as he rushes up to the floor, headbanging and generally looking as...well, annoying as he usually is despite the lack of easily tweaked wrestling audience to rely on. Though...perhaps in the great American spirit...he decides to forgo the taunting to the crowd. For now....
It is interesting how this is Lightning Spangles show, isn't it?
Maybe it was the fact that Ken, out recovering from his bear attack, had gone and sent Lightning Spangles out to defend him against Bethany. And successfully so far. Lightning Spangles was becoming a face of Master Corp, for better or worse. As the marching line comes crashing down, Lightning Spangles continues to build up the audience. "I said, can I get a Yee-Haw?!" "YEEE-HAAW!" Came the crowd. But as the band continues to play....
The music STOPS.
And replaced with that NOISE. Lightning Spangles visibly stumbles, in shock from the sudden show. Looking around all confused like, her attention is fixed right on Vyle. Looking outright OUTRAGED, she just crosses her arms, tapping her feet. When the theme begins to wind down, she finally uncrosses them, wiggling her hips as she walks into place.
"Well ain't that a load of downright rudeness!"
"So this is Vyle!" She states dismissingly. Turning up her nose, she just shakes her head. "You are the downright ugliest, foul-looking, buck-toothed, razzle-haired toad I've ever seen! Boy howdy, you belong in a gosh-darn toilet! And you smell like a whole dang stable to boot! PEEEEEE-EW!" She states, holding her nose. "Fortunately, our sponsers today have a natural way of handling that smell!" Clapping her hands, a mist suddenly begins to fall from the overhead. "That's some Irish Spring Natural Deorderant! It will freshen you up, and maybe with a little practice, can get you right on the path of being a proper, upstanding citizen!" Dropping into her defensive stance of Tae Kwon Do, she gives a wink to Vyle.
And takes a nice, long whiff.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel has started a fight here.
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Jezebel 0/-------/-------|
COMBATSYS: Vyle has joined the fight here.
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Vyle 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jezebel
The antics continue to roll on as Vyle's theme plays out, only finally coming down to an end as the song fades out. As he starts to roll his head and bounce on the balls of his feet as if to warm up, he can't help but...smirk. Oh, he heard Jezebel's opinion of him pretty loud and clear.
"Awww, isn't she cute, ladies and gentlemen, she thinks she's normal people," he says, even if he knows he isn't properly mic'd up enough that they could hear him. Not that it matters, his real audience was her anyhow. "Here's a hint, you're not Annie Oakley, you're not Calamity Jane, you're not even Jessie Jane. So, I dunno, might want to can the Disney Magical Kingdom Western Get-along before you embarass yourself." His head tilts a bit. "...well, embarrass yourself even more than usual. Let me ask, do you sell your panties out for billboard space too? Got a tattoo of your latest sponsor somewhere too hot for tv?"
Obviously, he's trying to get under her skin...that's just what he does. "As far as being fresh..." He suddenly sweeps forward, hoping his constant running at the mouth was enough of a distraction. His aim? To....swat at her backside? "Sorry, but you're just not my type," he says, smirking to himself as the feinted fresh gesture is quickly followed by an attempted trip up of her leg instead.
COMBATSYS: Vyle successfully hits Jezebel with Fast Throw.
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Vyle 0/-------/-------|-------\-------\0 Jezebel
Under her skin?
Lightning Spangles doesn't let anything get under her skin, not since the dark heroin days. Now she is part of the bright heroine days! A plastic smile frozen on her face, she just shakes her head at the raunchy language of the nasty Rudo. She just keeps up that swagger, looking like those words were not even touching her.
But then the swat comes.
Jezebel turns BRIGHT RED as she goes falling to the floor.. Suddenly the drawl is gone. The smile stays, but that drawl is replaced by a mid-western accent when she stands back up to mutter at the man. "Watch the sexual stuff, Vyle. I'm not kidding. This is my career on the line." Was the low mutter, before that bright southern accent comes to the surface. "Well ain't you fresh?! Boy howdy, it looks like we need some deputies to help us out. Let me just break out my ole' Cowgirl Nokia..." She begins, drawing out a cellphone, and punching in the numbers. The loudspeakers amplify the dialed number, before Jezebel begins to speak.
"Well, howdy pardners!"
"Yep, this is your good friend Lightning Spangles! I got a real troublemaker right down here at the Masters Stadium! I'm gonna need a posse of some of my biggest fans here, to help me lasso up this no-good-doer! Do you think you can help me out here?" Lightning Spangles pauses, listening in. "Well, boy howdy! That will sure be a big help!"
"Thanks, Mr. Dillo!"
Lightning Spangles hangs up the cellphone, tucking it away as she turns back to Vyle. "You are gonna be in some real trouble now, Vyle! I got myself a whole team of deputies, that's gonna help me out to take you down!" She states, nodding firmly. "But they better get here in time! I don't think I can take you on alone!" And promptly, Lightning Spangles explodes forward with a straight kick, chained to the same leg slamming down. A quick roundhouse comes, before a final, bone breaking heel drop finishes the aggressive combo.
"YEEEEE-HAW!"
COMBATSYS: Jezebel successfully hits Vyle with Quick and the Dead.
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Vyle 0/-------/-----==|-------\-------\0 Jezebel
...oh dear. That accent change was possibly the worst thing 'Lightning Spangles' could have done for her case.
That mutter that comes just makes Vyle smile WIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE. Like a kid who was ready to poke a hornet's next simply because his mother told him not to. That's the kind of guy Vyle is, especially when it comes to public personas and the like. And the call? Whoo boy, she was laying it on thick enough to make the rude, lewd rudo even more giddy.
"Oh no, she's rounding up her posse, what ever shall I do?" he says in his best Scarlett O'hara-esque falsetto, complete with his hands upon his face in such a 'shocked' gesture, before coming back to his usual wrestling ready position. "Please, Rhinestone Cowgirl, I..."
Sometimes, though, you just need to shut up and fight. Something Vyle does too late when Lightning Spangles drives forward with that side kick, then following up with that fierce combo that sends the rudo sprawling onto his face upon that finishing heel drop. "NGHHHHHH!!!"
Rising up, the luchador glowered. "Ok....'Lightning Spankle'," he sneers, rolling forward with his arms, then vaulting off his hands to fling his legs upwards, trying to catch the Cowgirl around her head with his legs, and relying on bodily momentum to swing his weight around and pull her over in his version of the hurricanrana.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Vyle's Viper's Coil.
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Vyle 0/-------/-----==|=------\-------\0 Jezebel
Vyle was going down that route?
Lightning Spangles has seen enough rotten kids to know exactly what Vyle was up to. This guy was going to be a little brat? Well, Lightning Spangles has the Disney Experience with dealing with brats. Which is to smile. Turn the other cheek. And let security cart them off. But now, there was no security.
And Lightning Spangles was expected to kick the snot out of the brat.
As the final kick comes, Lightning Spangles plants the foot down hard, centering herself. "Serves you right, you rotten jerk! When my friends show up, you are going to be right down in REAL trouble!" Turning back towards the cameras, she gives a thumbs up.
"Just like those troublemakers with the Cale Group."
Lightning Spangles just continues to pose for the camera as Vyle leaps to her neck. Slamming a foot down, she struggles and tussels with Vyle, the man still wrapped around her neck. "Guh! I'd like to remind everyone at home that this high-quality entertainment is brought to you by Masters Corporation! Masters Corporation!" She begins, before throwing off Vyle, and winding back, attempts to give a mighty punt.
"Get off me you jerk!" (copyright Masters Corp.)
COMBATSYS: Jezebel successfully hits Vyle with Medium Kick.
CSYS: This exciting moment brought to you by Masters Corporation!!
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Vyle 0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0 Jezebel
Brat was...probably the wrong word for it. Vyle was less a brat, and more an instigator. He knew how to rile people up and get on their bad sides, either for a psychological advantage...or just for the laughs. And considering how often he talked in a fight, he tended to get a LOT of practice.
Unfortunately, despite that earlier break in character, it seems like L.S. has regained her poise enough to keep the mask from slipping and not let his taunting probing get through too much. The hurricanrana attempt ends up with Vyle mostly hanging off her neck rather than flipping her over, and when he's finally wrested free, he can't quite tuck back into a somersault before she ups and boots him in the back, sending him sprawling a good distance away. "HRGHhh...."
Pushing himself back up to his feet with a hand pressing against his back, favoring it, the wrestler scowls. "So...how's life as a shill for hire, huh?" he asks, still persisting in his attempts to get her to falter again. This time, he goes into a significantly lower stance, almost crawling on the ground with his hands barely hovering above the sanded wood floor. "You know, this makes sense...after all cowboys always made sure their /cows/ wore the brands, so..." He leaves that insult hanging, shooting in once more for another sweep at her leg, this time trying to hold on for good and wrench her ankle into a nasty looking leglock.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel interrupts Improvised Throw from Vyle with High Noon EX.
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Vyle 1/------=/=======|==-----\-------\0 Jezebel
Shill for hire?
As Vyle is punted off, Lightning Spangles just crosses her arms. "Aren't you being paid too!" The insults were chipping against her shoulders, grinding her down. Well, grinding Jezebel down. But Lighting Spangles was only emboldened. As Vyle bolts for the legs, though, Lightning Spangles is all ready for him. A blazing sweep of her own foot breaks the wrench, sending the pair of them into the air. Legs burning with red, white, and blue energy, she rockets to an apex, before swinging her once wrenched leg around with a firework-burst of red energy. Slamming it down, she shoots straight down to earth with a driving, downward kick
But the words seem to cut like a knife.
Landing back down on her feet, she grabs her head. The smile was gone. She seemed to be swimming. "Wh-why... Oh no, Lightning Spangles is really feeling it." She mutters loudly. "I don't think... I don't think I can do this alone!"
Suddenly, someone appears on the screen.
No.
Not someone.
SomeTHING.
"Boy howdy, Lightning Spangles, we got here as fast as we could!" The giant, CGI Armadillo drawls out in a thick Tennesse accent as he walks in on the projector screen. Dressed in a scarf and wielding a fiddle, the children in the audience SCREAM in delight. Lightning Spangles, landing from the final kick, turns towards the screen. "Why it's Lightning Spangles good friend, the Hoedown Dillo!" She states, looking towards the camera. "What took you so long, pardner?" The Hoedown Dillo scratches the back of his shell with his bow. "Well, you told me to round up the posse, girl! It's pretty hard to get all your biggest fans together on such short notice!"
Lightning Spangles just shakes her head.
"I bet you were too busy fiddlin' up one of your tunes!" Lightning Spangles accuses, wagging a finger at the giant CGI Dillo on the screen. "Well, if my posse is here, why don't you send them in!" The Hoedown Dillo shakes his head. "Well, Lightning Spangles, I would but..." He leans down, into a stage whisper. "Some of them are a bit shy!" Lightning Spangles stumbles back. "A bit shy?!" She exclaims. "Well, you know how we done fix up those shoegazers. You should inspire them up with a little bit of a hoedown! Fiddle them up a tune." And then, Lightning Spangles turns to the audience, exposing her back to Vyle. "And all of you, clap along! You don't want to scare them away, do you?!" Several children in the audience scream 'Nooo!" And hopping on her heels, Lightning Spangles begins a clap as the Hoedown Dillo bows a bit. "Well, sure thing Lightning Spangles, if you know what's best!"
And then, the Hoedown Dillo begins to fiddle up a little tune, as the audience claps along.
Ok...perhaps Vyle has been taking this fight with the wrong approach all along. He's been trying to push the attack....and despite his constant, persistant pressure both physically and psychologically, Lightning Spangles has been like a rock, and when he tries to wrench in that ankle hold...he finds himself instead lifted up before he can fully lock in and gets send straight into the air with a rocketing, exploding kick. And if the literal fireworks weren't so bad, he gets spiked down just like before...except this time, it's from several feet in the air, making the landing a little harsher.
Groaning, Vyle struggles to pick himself up again, wincing and...for the moment...silent. The bloodied lip helps, as does the swimming of his head making his focus a little sketchy. But when he does get his eyes on straight again, he finds himself looking at....
Oh no.
She knows psychological warfare too.
"What the....hell...." he mutters, eye twitching as he finds himself feeling like he became the sideshow at a Chuck E. Cheese stage performance. Sweating, he shakes his head, backing up away from Spangles. If he wanted to press the attack before, he definitely doesn't want to NOW! Instead, he returns to that low lurching stance, shaking his head as he tries to wait for her to make the next move instead.
COMBATSYS: Vyle focuses on his next action.
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Vyle 1/------=/=======|===----\-------\0 Jezebel
Children sure do love Lightning Spangles! Which is why, several days ago, some representatives of Masters Corporation played host to a gaggle of the injured and sick little tykes housed in the recently-renovated wing of Sunshine City Hospital. These particular reps weren't just any old stuffy men and women in suits though, no sirree, but bona-fide sidekicks of the great cowgirl herself! The kids were alternately delighted and horrified with their visitation by a small horde of oversized animals armed with instruments and songs, as many breaking out in clapping and cheering as, well, tears. But never mind them; some children don't know what's good for them!
Then, there are those who never STOP knowing what's good for them. Hobbling through the wing that day was one very grown-up supporter of Ms. Spangles, bouncing along on stilts following a horrifyingly violent run-in with a predator far worse than Samuel Eagleton or even the Wickety Wolfhound. Though standing at five feet, eight inches and build like a very streamlined brick shithouse, the young lady's face lit up with nostalgic recollection as she walked amidst the company of giants. Nineteen years old she might be, but with such a bright demeanour - and the Official Lightning Spangles Yee-Haw Lil' Deputy Dress-up Hoedown kit she keeps stuffed in a locker back home...
Well, nobody was really going to say no, were they?
Which brings us, by the windy trail of narrative flow, to the very important HERE and NOW.
Hoedown Dillo's merry ditty seems to work its magic over the crowd, adoring faces clapping along with their heroine as she struts in place, the stamp and cheer becoming a veritable maelstrom of dizzying, heart-pounding enthusiasm that only the stoniest of creatures could fail to be moved by. And indeed, it's only a matter of moments before Vyle's disgust is rewarded by the banging of doors from the rear of the assembled crowd. Up on the screen, the Dillo's playing reaches fever pitch, and he's joined suddenly by an emerging gaggle of kids all dolled up to the nines in their official deputy kit, badges gleaming alternately on chest or stetson. Several dozen cap-guns fire certifiably harmless sparks into the air, and a few even crack imitation whips!
"WE BELIEVE IN YOU, LIGHTNING SPANGLES!" They scream in high-pitched chorus, stampeding down to the inner edge of the crowd, forming up in a long line-- that reveals just how much /taller/ one of them is than any of the others. And... hey, is that a gen-u-ine whip in that one's hand? "YEEEEE-HAW!!!"
The Ikari Warrior has never been happier, face spread in a big grin as she raises her voice to the heavens.
And the crowd goes wild.
Lightning Spangles visibly lights up as the gang of children come rolling in. Vyle may be absolutely dumbfounded, and for good measure. Few people can compete with the sheer show-womanship of Lightning Spangles, even someone as experienced as Vyle. Plus, where Vyle had the skin of his teeth, Lightning Spangles had a five-figure support budget in her corner. That part of being a shill?
Well, it DOES have its perks!
As the Hoedown Dillo continues his rootin' tootin' theme, the cowgirl goes to the edge of the ring, arms open wide. The children are rustled over towards her, as Lightning Spangles begins to draw out a pen... and a stack of the official Lightning Spangles All-American Fireworks Set. She quickly begins to sign autographs for the packaged fireworks, as well as autographs on the various hats and clothing. Vyle might be stunned, but in a way, he was doing Jezebel a service: Giving her a chance to help out these poor sick kids.
But someone did not belong.
As Lightning Spangles reaches upon Whip, she pauses. Hesitates for a moment. 10 years ago surges back to her mind. The Show-Up Hoe-Down Show. That costume was there. A fan, from so long ago. Smiling. Jezebel trembles a bit, a tear building in her eye. Her voice nearly chokes when she speaks to Whip. "Well, boy howdy, I didn't think I would see a fan this day and age," Lightning Spangles begins, reaching around her vest. "But I'm not the Sherrif of Thunder Mountain anymore." She says, the drawl hanging despite the cracks. Finally, she draws out a dented, worn momento of forgotten times. The Sherrif Badge of the Jezebel's Show-Up Hoe-Down Show. Reaching out, she pins it on Whip's old outfit. "So it is my power to make YOU the Sherriff of Thunder Mountain, in my stead."
And Lightning Spangles winks at the Ikari Warrior.
With the signatures finished, Lighting Spangles hands off the pen to a stage hand, before turning around to face Vyle. "Okay, pardners! It is good you showed up just in time! Lightning Spangles is facing a real bad guy right on here! What Lightning Spangles needs from you is to show that you are her biggest fans!" She begins to focus at Vyle, building up with the spirit.
"Can Y'all give a me a Yee Haw?"
COMBATSYS: Jezebel burns with the AMERICAN SPIRIT!
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Vyle 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\0 Jezebel
Oh god. It really is Chuck E. Cheese. And Vyle was the horrified adult wondering how kids could even stand this crap, forget actually be entertained by it. The one that wishes he could go back to the ball pit and drown himself in the round plastic 'water'. He could FEEL his teeth rotting as well as his brain.
No points for accusing the wrestler of having a rotten brain already.
Either way, he can only stand so much. And when Spangles continues on with her schtick, he can only take so much. Charging in, rapidly, with that skitterskulk-like run with hands nearly touching the ground as he slithered in closer. Close enough to HOPEFULLY grab Spangles by the waist from behind, lift her up, and interrupt her little Cowpoke Road Show with the classic German Suplex. "ENOUGH!!" he shouts as he tries to lift her over and dump her onto her head.
Because a self-respecting cad can only take so much Disneyfied teeth rotting.
Ten years ago, the girl now known as Whip carried another pseudonym, lost to the mists of history past. But even with her cruel and unusual background, she had a childhood during that time. Much of it was spent filtered through endless experiments, her numbered designation and performance monitoring grades scribbled down upon clipboards passed from scientist to grim-faced, clinically-clad scientist. A storm of white coats, pain and boredom alleviated only by the preciously-seized time spent alongside her fellow subjects in the well-equipped day room. NESTS is not an entirely harsh organization, and not entirely unlike Kula, she was provided for in a roundabout fashion. But her real family showed up on a screen to the foot-stompin' ditties of Hoedown Dillo...
There are few memories from that time the Ikari holds fond now, but one of those is the day the mysterious facility in Peru received a message from the Official Lightning Spangles Rootin'-Tootin' Fan Club. It was passed amongst grim-faced scientists before one kindly figure, rather than questioning how on earth the tiny, dimple-cheeked assassin-to-be had managed to send a stamped addressed envelope to the address provided on the Show-Up Hoe-Down Show, decided to pass it into that girl's eager clutches. It's the first time Whip remembers smiling.
As she stands there in un-be-lievably tight chaps and a leather vest that practically cuts to the bone, it all comes flooding back - the subsequent, even less likely trip to meet Lighting Spangles herself on live television, the sheer open-mouthed jealousy of Angel when she broke the news that she'd be doing. And the sheer, unadulterated glee when she broke the second bit of news; that they were BOTH going! Then the day itself. Why, Jezebel's teary eyes almost elicit a sob from the Ikari herself, though it swiftly turns to a bright laugh, those cheeks dimpling once more with the self-same dimples she wore as a child as she watches the sacred object pass toward her.
"I... I don't know what to say..."
She's completely speechless, reaching toward the dented old badge with a careful hand. Her face falls, if only because /everything/ comes flooding back-- all the bad times too, the rough patches to follow, the death and the dismay. But it's fleeting. Because someone needs her now, to do her duty! To stand up for what she believes in! Truth, justice, and the American Way! ...it briefly occurs she's somewhat lost sight of the last one, but that thought is cast aside like a rolling tumbleweed as Whip, the Sheriff of Thunder Mountain, solemnly bows her head.
"I'll do my duty, Lighting Spangles, just like I know you'll do yours! Come on, y'all!"
Throwing a fist in the air, Whip rises above the children staring adoringly on, leading them - as the Sheriff of Thunder Mountain should - in the most time-honoured and sacred of cries, their spirits soaring to join with those of the All-American heroine. It's time to lasso that bad guy like a mean ol' buffalo!
"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWW!!!"
It's not just the children that join in, but the entire audience! Even Hoedown Dillo lends his mighty voice!
Surely, Lightning Spangles cannot fail now!
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Vyle's Strong Throw.
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Vyle 1/------=/=======|=======\-------\1 Jezebel
But Vyle is too quick.
As the last word escapes Lightning Spangles, the Rudo is upon her. Lightning Spangles goes limp A utter ragdoll, putting no resistance to Vyle. Eyes wide in shock, she is lifted into the air. It seemed that this was the end of Lightning Spangles.
But then, the Yee Haws come.
Suddenly, Vyle can feel a burst of strength within the cowgirl. As he tries to slam her down, she hurls her hands forward. With renewed power, she flips out of the grips of the wrestler as she is smashed down, and breaks completely free of the lucha's grapple. Standing all, she looks down on the man... and passes a glance to her posse. Smiling brightly, she gives a wink.
And gives them all a salute.
"Thank you so much, my deputies! Vyle almost caught me plumb and dumb right on there!" She drawls, surging back to Vyle. Bending down to pick him up, she attempts to grip him tightly as she shoves a foot into his chest. Should she get a grip, she would suddenly roll back, placing her other foot into his chest, and draw back both legs. Burning with energy, she would infuse the poor man with chi power, before firing him right up into the air....
And letting him explode with a blue firework burst.
COMBATSYS: Vyle counters Good Bad and Ugly from Jezebel with Relapse.
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Vyle 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Jezebel
Oh god, she's one of those types. The type that literally do feed off the crowd to do absurd things and get their blood flowing with ridiculous fervor. He remembers all too well those types like El Stringray and Aleksey Zalazof (better known stateside as Biff Slamkovich). The fan favorite types that really bought into their own crowd favoritism and weaponized it.
God, he hated those types.
Feeling Spangles flip out of his attempted German suplex, the rudo is forced to roll back over and get back into ready position, glowering at his muted throw. Of course, he finds himself assisted to his feet...but when she lifts up her foot and presses it to his chest?....
His body swiftly turns, leg whipping around and cracking forward with his own back spin kick to crack against her chin. His hands nearly touch the floor, as does his head, while his snapping leg hurls her into the air by force...and with a sharp push off with his hands, he vaults after her. As he flies toward her, he tries to grab her to where one arm is around her head, the other at one of her hips, and his knees pressed into her back.. The momentum brings them down until he lands atop her, knees driven into her back and forcing her into one heck of a belly flop onto the wooden floor.
"....did I...catch you there now? HUH?!" he shouts, trying to roll off of her back, still not terribly balanced thanks to her little posse.
Oh, she was caught.
Lightning Spangles was very much a crowd feeder. The ultimate face, to use a wrestling term. Lightning Spangles was the All-American Heroine in an All-American match. But when that launching kick is flawlessly countered, Lightning Spangles hits the floorboards hard. Though not hard enough. Vyle can feel her turning to weaken the slam, rolling with it on impact, tumbling away. But as the hero gets slammed down hard....
The crowd begins to boo.
Suddenly, the Hoedown Dillo speaks up. Still Fiddlin' away, he looks down at Lightning Spangles. "Whoa there Pardner! You are looking mighty parched! How about you grab a drink from my ol' cooler!" Suddenly, a cooler pops open ring side. Loaded to the brim with soda bottles, Hoedown Dillo gives a wink as Lightning Spangles rushes over. Grabbing a bottle of Coca-Cola, she takes a long, hard drink. "Mmmm mmm! This is pretty good! I can feel myself getting refreshed!" Showing the contents to the Lightning Spangles Posse, she flexes her arms.... and tosses the bottle right towards Vyle.
"What do you think of Coke, Vyle!?"
COMBATSYS: Vyle overcomes Thrown Object from Jezebel with Venom Breath.
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Vyle 0/-------/------=|=======\==-----\1 Jezebel
The rudo may or may not have felt that faint turning of the cowgirl's body into that big slam, but regardless, Vyle rolls away, rather...satisfied with himself. The booing? Feh, where Lightning Spangles fed off the crowd's adoration, Vyle fed off their contempt. He was a heel, a black hat, the baddie. He had to, it was his character as much as the All-American Hoe-down Showdown girl she was. In this vein...they really weren't that much different.
Vyle just was willing to let his mask drop a little more occasionally...not that the character and the real man were terribly different. That and he doesn't get all the sponsors or the chances to shill like she does.
And speaking of shills, blatant advertising ends up swung the Rudo's way as he finally gets back to his feet. Narrowing his eyes, he puts two fingers to his throat...and spews a noxious cloud of green mist straight toward the flying bottle before it flies too far out of Spangles' hands and toward him. The poisonous cloud is noxious enough to even stop a slightly full soda bottle in mid air, before it drops unceremoniously to the ground while the cloud moves onward.
"I think it's bad for our breath," he sneers in response.
COMBATSYS: Vyle successfully hits Jezebel with Venom Breath.
CSYS: This exciting moment brought to you by Pepsi-Co!!
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Vyle 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Jezebel
I guess Vyle isn't a coke fan!
As the bottle is hurled towards him, the advertising is met with a blast of toxic spray. Blowing the bottle to the ground, it surges towards the cowgirl. Choking, she begins to stumble around the ring. "What! What is this.... RC Cola? So toxic. So terrible. The only cure for such poison is... is...."
"A cold bottle of Pepsi!"
Suddenly, the contents of the cooler are revealed, filled to the brim with Pepsi. Lightning Spangles learns over the edge of the ring, as a stagehand relays her a bottle of Pepsi. Wasn't... that interferance?! Lightning Spangles takes the bottle, unscrewing the top, and starts guzzling it down. As the pepsi products as disbursed amongsts the kids (and Whip, Lightning Spangles turns to the cameras, and salutes.
"Pepsi! The Choice of a New Generation!"
COMBATSYS: Jezebel begins to recover, thanks to high-quality product placement!
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > ///////////////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/-----==|=======\==-----\1 Jezebel
RC Cola?
....now THAT was a low blow.
And for what it's worth, Vyle actually DOES look offended at that comparison when Lightning Spangles makes it. "...seriously? And people call ME an asshole?" he asks, shaking his head with his hands at his hips. As he frowns, he watches when Spangles leans over to fetch a bottle of Pepsi. First thing he does is....tilt his head and get a better look. Because hey, why not?
And the second thing he does? He tries to slip behind Spangles as she mugs for the camera, holding out that bottle to make sure the branding is nice, visible, and prominent. Hopefully, her distraction will give him the opening to slap on a move that had been a wrestling staple for several decades: the good, ol' fashioned SLEEPER HOLD. And what he hisses into the camera as he tries to cinch her in?
"Vyle, the Choke of This Generation."
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Vyle's Choke Hold.
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/-----==|=======\===----\1 Jezebel
Lightning Spangles was pretty much the worst fighter ever.
But she raked in the revenues! Still building up the product she was shilling, she gives a wink to the kids. "Lightning Spangles is really on the ropes, kids. She might need a little Lightning Spangles pick me up." Looking towards Whip, she nods. "I know I can trust you on that, Sheriff!" Giving a wink, suddenly one of the kids blurts out. "WATCH OUT LIGHTNING SPANGLES!" And Vyle leaps. Gasps run through the posses, as the wrestler gets those arms around her. For a brief moment, Vyle is on her.
But not for long.
Slipping her arm between the arm and neck, she struggles for a moment. "Gah! Boy howdy, your jokes are as rotten as your breath!" She exclaims. Finally breaking from the hold, she suddenly tries to pull him off... and to straight swinging him around by his neck and briches. Should she get that grip, she would hurl him right into the air....
And snap a kick right before he hits the ground.
COMBATSYS: Vyle fails to counter Hang 'Em High EX from Jezebel with Antidote.
- Power fail! -
[ \\\\\\\\\\\\ < > /////////////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/--=====|=======\====---\1 Jezebel
Lightning Spangles is certainly NOT the worst fighter ever... in Whip's heart!
Or rather, in the heart of the little girl she never got to be, for longer than that single glorious day. The episode contained a special segment on how to hitch n' hurl a lasso, inspiring within the budding young assassin the spark that would lead to the later adoption of her namesake, and the forbidden love of an inanimate object. Her career as a fighter, as a mercenary and a born survivor, is something she owes - in a roundabout way - entirely to Jezebel. It's why she cheers so loudly at each success, leads the chorus of hisses and boos as Vyle makes his dastardly comeback, and why she's there when Spangles looks for her.
Returning the wink with a big thumbs up, she grabs her Official Lightning Spangles Rootin' Tootin' Stetson Hat from atop her head and waves it in the air as she calls for the attention of all the other little deputies. "Hey y'all," she croons in the worst imitation Jezebel accent ever, but does it so completely heartfully that they all buy into it regardless, "Lightning Spangles needs your help again! On three, we need another big yee-haw!"
"Yes, Sheriff!" Chimes a tiny scrap of a girl beside her, looking up at Whip with big, doelike eyes.
Smiling, Whip bends down to set her hat atop the pigtailed waif's head, then leads them in, "One... two... three!"
"YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAWWW!"
"You can count on us, Lightning Spangles!"
The choke was there, Vyle trying to lock in that sleeper hold, despite the assist from Spangles' throng of supporters. But he never does quite cinch it in completely, at least enough to press down completely on the carotid artery to shut it off. Before he can? Vyle ends up lifted up, and flung up into the air with a wild toss. "Gaahhh!"
As he falls down, he sees the kick coming. It should be academic what he could do, even with gravity taking over. He tries to bring his hands up to catch the leg before it scores.
Unfortunately, his timing is off enough that not only dose he not manage to grab the kick, but the snapping blow cracks into his chin instead, sending him sprawling back with a hard drop, clutching his mouth and making muffled sounds of cursing and pain. At least he's shut up now.
For a moment, it doesn't look like Lightning Spangles could do it.
Vyle was already moving to catch the leg, with stunning agility. But it was that last shout, that last cheer, that brings Lightning Spangles over. No, it wasn't just any cheer. It wasn't the crowd that carries her over.
It is the heart of the little girl, that sits within Whip.
Whip's cries lead the children to bring Lightning Spangles that brutal kick. She was on the edge now, building towards the top of her Lightning Spangles offense. "I can feel it now!" She exclaims, lowering down. "I can feel it in all your hearts! Okay, everyone! It's time to kick this jerk right to the curb!" Burning with red, white, and blue energy, she fires through the air in a whirling leap.
"WHERE EAGLES DARE!"
Whirling with energy, she attempts to bowl right over Vyle, to suck him straight up into the whirling mess of energy. Whether or not he gets drawn in, Lightning Spangles with shoot all that energy right to her foot as she explodes out a single, fiery kick.
That explodes with a fireworks spectical of the American Flag behind her.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel successfully hits Vyle with Where Eagles Dare.
Grazing Hit
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////////// ]
Vyle 1/-------/=======|=======\=====--\1 Jezebel
Groaning as he pulls himself up, Vyle continues to clutch his chin, teetering still as he recovers from that failed reveral attempt. His eyes try to focus again, hearing that infuriatingly upbeat psyching up following around her. It was getting really annoying, and honestly...it was hard for Vyle to get momentum with a crowd he really couldn't manipulate into hating him. Or at least, a crowd that could be so easily distracted from hating him.
And for all that flash and gilded surface, this woman really was handing him his hat. Especially when she sails toward him with a blazing red-white-and-blue kick, creating a flash of fireworks that he gets suckered into by avioding the kick itself. Its' only luck that he manages to avoid the second kick, but the damage was already done.
"****ing...." he groans under his breath, trying to pull himself back up to his feet. "I am...not...finished yet..." he growls, charging at the cowgirl and trying to wrap her up with a leaping neckbreaker attempt.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel guards against Vyle's Rebound Throw.
[ \\\\\\\ < > /////////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/-======|=======\======-\1 Jezebel
"Alright, deputies, it's time for Lightning Spangles to finish this," declares Whip from her position amidst the throng of children, some of whom are beginning to look quite worried inbetween cheerleading sessions. One has even begun to cry, watching the wrestler rebound time and again to take their champion down to the wire. But they rally around the Sheriff of Thunder Mountain, and the badge she proudly wears. "Everybody knows the drill! Clap your hands!"
The Ikari brings her gloved hands together over her head, eyes bright as she looks toward her childhood heroine. The other lil' deputies all follow suit, scattered at first but soon reaching a decent rhythm that stretches to the surrounding crowd; and then they begin to chant as one.
"We believe in Lightning Spangles! We believe in Lighting Spangles! We believe in Lightning Spangles!"
It was pretty hard to hate Vyle openly, when there was so much love for Lightning Spangles.
Blazing up poor Vyle, she manages to burn him, but not break him. Vyle had lost the momentum of the fight. Lightning Spangles had too much presence in the crowd. But as he hurls back into the woman, Jezebel is off-balanced, she was reeling. Stumbling around a bit, she finds Vyle on her shoulder again, this time trying to break her neck. Struggling against the brute, her eyes begin to dim...
But the cheers of the children bring her over.
Hurling Vyle off her shoulders and into the air, she doesn't make a true offensive hurl. No, instead, she pivots. Tears streaming from her eyes, tears of joy, she spins around once. "And never forget kids!" She begins, as she sweeps a kick out. A small ball of white energy is hurled out, shimmering brightly as it attempts to collide hard into the chest of the Rudo. Should it hit, it will linger for a moment... before exploding after a brief delay. And just in time for the cowgirl to stand before it, to speak directly to her fans.
"I believe in all of you!"
COMBATSYS: Vyle dodges Jezebel's Young Guns.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ////////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/-======|=======\=====--\1 Jezebel
This was clearly not going the way it should. Vyle shouldn't be losing the crowd like this. And yet, here he was, overshadowed by this....this....ACTRESS. This is just insufferable. And the luchador wanted to show just how insufferable it was, but despite putting as much weight and momentum into the attempted neckbreaker, Spangles manages to shrug it off before he can really do damage.
Falling to his knees and catching himself with one hand, he barely has the time to drop down flat on the ground, avoiding the initial thrust of that white energy ball. Then it takes some hasty rolling away on his side to avoid the follow-up burst. Left with some distance away fromthe cowgirl, he's forced to make do. Pushing himself back up to his feet, he charges rather...openly. At first, it looks like it might be a simple drop kick....but instead, his foot hooks out, lashing from the side to try and bean the loved figure in the back of the head in soem manner.
COMBATSYS: Vyle successfully hits Jezebel with Light Kick.
[ \\\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/=======|=======\======-\1 Jezebel
Was Lightning Spangles slowing down?
The Hoedown Dillo gasps as Lightning Spangles, missing with her blast, suddenly finds herself kicked in the back of the head. "Gah!" Was the cry as her hat goes flying off, right into the posse. Hatless and dazed, she falls to one knee. Gasping, gripping her throat, she takes a deep, painful breath.
"I'm not down yet! Not in front of my fans!"
Finding her center again, a new resolve comes over Lightning Spangles. She can't lose now. Not in front of her fans. Charging towards Vyle, she drops down low. A sweeping kick, on the ground. She was trying to knock Vyle down, knock him to the floorboards...
To prepare for her ultimate attack.
COMBATSYS: Vyle dodges Jezebel's Spin Kick.
[ \\\\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Jezebel
While Vyle is obviously not having a good time of it, he is slowly starting to show why he's so annoying to fight: he just doesn't know when to die like a good man.
As he manages to snap his enzuigiri into the back of Spangles's skull, he lands with his hands catching his fall mostly. Pushing himself back up, he barely manages to push himself off the floor, barely missing the sweep before falling back on hands and feet again like a skittering bug, or a slithering snake. "Your 15 minutes are up!" he shouts, before trying to leap into the air, and hammer down several stomps overhead, hoping to batter the cowgirl about the head and shoulders.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel blocks Vyle's Riot Stampede.
[ \\\\\\ < > //////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/-======|=======\-------\1 Jezebel
But Lightning Spangles didn't want to be battered.
She left that past behind her.
Of course, Lightning Spangles has also shown why SHE is annoying to fight. Her enduring defense was refusing to back down; whether from pure stubbornness or pure resolve. But when he spits back and takes to the air, she is already bringing her arms up. As the stomps come...
She just takes it like a pro.
Arms braced against the impact, she finally pushes Vyle off with the final kick. Rising back up, she suddenly bring the leg around, snapping it straight up, almost completely vertical. Athletic and flexible, she rockets it up.
Aiming right for the jaw.
COMBATSYS: Vyle blocks Jezebel's Snap Kick.
[ \\\\\ < > ///////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/=======|=======\-------\1 Jezebel
Finishing up that rapid set of stomps, Vyle falls back to his feet, barely keeping upright as he nearly tips over just from the jarring landing. All that energy spent dodging has him left on fumes, and the damage from the attacks earlier in the fight are finally hitting him. Grunting, he finds himself face to face with the cowgirl. Looks like the fancy techniques are giving way to simple desperation attacks here. The basics of everything. And of the basics of the basics? One must know how to avoid damage.
WIth his legs like jelly at the moment, he finds himself faced with a snapping kick to his face. And thus, he has to rely on said basics: blocking. He can't dodge it outright this time, but he's able to catch the foot with his hands, the force nearly sending him falling back, but keeping his feet under himself, hands still on her foot.
And he tries not to waste time with that, a simple yank on her foot trying to pull her off balance and send her falling onto her back. No fancy wrestling skill here. Just trying to brute force it this time around.
Fifteen minutes, declares the wrestler, himself no more than a glorified actor posturing for crowds who can't handle a REAL fight? Oh yeah, we totally went there. But this is a battle of showmen, where the fans matter most of all; and to the children hanging upon her every word and action, Lightning Spangles is a legacy. An undying hero standing against the no-goodniks of the world with pluck, charm and good old-fashioned grit! Her presence is timeless, her charisma holding sway over everyone in the arena who has even the shadow of a heart... and that's why she has to keep fighting, that's what keeps her going. Mere tenacity can't compare to that.
As Vyle stumbles back from taking that dynamic, astonishingly flexible kick to the chin, staggering away with his guard raised and a knockout narrowly averted, the crowd holds its breath as one. The cheers diminish uncertainly, the momentum of the match turning dangerously close to what they'd all consider not just an upset, but upsetting! At the front of the crowd, towering about the lil' deputies, Whip clutches in her hands the trademark hat. The peak atop the statuesque, heroic Mt. Jezebel. Her mouth a solemn line, she twists it in her grasp, and hurls it forth!
"Don't give up, Lightning Spangles!"
Her cry rings out as Jez's hat whips end over end, spinning wildly toward her clutches, and the moment seems to hang before the children all explode into rejoined cheers and heavy, rhythmic clapping and stomping of feet. The air is supercharged; and together, they enter the sixteenth minute!
"DON'T-GIVE-UP! DON'T-GIVE-UP! DON'T-GIVE-UP! DON'T-GIVE-UP!"
COMBATSYS: Jezebel fails to interrupt Medium Throw from Vyle with High Noon EX.
[ \\\\\ < > ////// ]
Vyle 0/-------/=======|==-----\-------\0 Jezebel
The power of fans, that was flowing through Jezebel.
As the vertical kick is block, her presence holds strong. Whip, leading her fans, was pushing her over the edge. Readying the other foot, she braces herself. "HIGH NO-" She begins, as she hurls her kick forward, to beat it right out of Vyle.
But instead, she is unceramoniously pulled off her feet.
"Gah!" Was the cry, as Lightning Spangles hits the ground. The wind is knocked clean out of her. Face down, she lays there, unmoving. Was that it? Was Lightning Spangles... knocked out, before the children. And then, a weak voice drawls out of her. "I'm... not... done yet..." Lifting her head up, she begins to rise again.
"I will NOT give up!"
That's what he was hoping for.
With that yank off her feet, Vyle was finally feeling the momentum. And while he ended up falling onto a hand to keep from falling on his ass after that pull, he was still standing higher than she was. And with a push back to his feet, he was hopefully able to get up to his feet first, before she could fully stand. "Your cowpokes can't save you. Because today..."
And with that, he leaps up, trying to use the last ounce of energy he had to aim an elbow drop right at the back of her neck. "The badguy wins."
COMBATSYS: Jezebel endures Vyle's Fierce Punch.
[ \\\\\ < > // ]
Vyle 1/-------/=======|====---\-------\0 Jezebel
"The bad guy NEVER wins"
Those were the words when Lightning Spangles erupts up. Bursting through that crushing elbow, she explodes upright, grabbing Vyle by his shoulders. "Bad Guys NEVER win. Never in real life. Justice ALWAYS PREVAIL!" Whether or not Jezebel believed those words didn't matter. All that matter was that those kids believe it.
And that Lightning Spangles believed it.
Lightning Spangles suddenly hurls a kick. And then, another kick. Hurling kick after kick after kick, she attempting to slam kick into kick, to hammer Vyle into the boards. She was pushing herself far beyond what is safe for her. Tendons break. Her heart pounds. But as she kicks up, and hurls down a slamming kick, she begins to finish the combo with a single, driving heel drop...
Before falling to her knees.
COMBATSYS: Jezebel can no longer fight.
[ \\\\\ <
Vyle 1/-------/=======|
COMBATSYS: Vyle dodges Jezebel's True Grit.
[ \\\\\ <
Vyle 1/-------/=======|
Whip isn't the only prominent fighter in the crowd that is watching the event. A familiar white masked face happily munches on some nachos with salsa noisily whilst the dreaded Vyle dukes it out against the all american cowgirl, Jezebel.
It is none other than El Fuerte, who despite his tecnico status can be seen grinning when Jezebel hits the ground knees first. Say whatever they what about Vyle, the Mexican luchador would stand by a fellow wrestler even if he is a rudo rather than the overly zealous, blond woman any day of the week.
Because in the end of the day, Jezebel isn't the only one that has fans.
"Te cargo el payaso, mendiga gringa." Mutters he in Spanish while munching on nachos. Too bad that he doesn't get subtitles when he's not actively participating in fights! Looks like anyone that heard him will have to do some research to find out what he said!
Lightning Spangles falls, leaving her supporters aghast even as the last words of the All-American heroine resound in their ears. Justice always prevails. It rings hollow in that moment, as lips begin to curl and quiver, as tears spring to eyes, the smallest children sinking behind the rail holding the crowd back from the edge-- an apt metaphor, now, for the condition they occupy. Huge, wet eyes stare at the beloved cowgirl as she kneels helpless before the gloating, swaggering and utterly evil wrestler who has fought her to a fierce finish.
It seems as if everything is hopeless, even as the rest of the crowd boos and jeers, playing their own role. At least most of them; they'll always be a few clinging to the darkness, urging on the ne'erdowells because they have neither love nor compassion in their dingy hearts! But now they're victorious, those cursed few, with none to step into the light and bring them forth, to save them all... Lightning Spangles is fallen, but...
"She's right, deputies. Don't worry."
It's a small voice, and not at all American, but as Whip speaks over the gentle sobs and moans of the distraught children, her tone carries a strength that draws them all upright. The tiny girl beside her looks up with the utmost hope in those wide eyes, reaching to tug upon the sleeve of her Official Lightning Spangles Hustlin' Cowgirl All-Weather All-American Blouse. "But, Sheriff," she pitifully mews, "Lightning Spangles is d-d-dead!"
Whip looks down and shakes her head, brown bangs flapping with the brisk denial.
"She's not dead, little deputy! Lightning Spangles needs time to recover, but she will, and she IS right. The bad guy NEVER wins, not while we still have belief in our hearts, and not while the Sheriff of Thunder Mountain stands here with all of YOU, the greatest deputies a Justice-lovin' cowgirl could ever have!" Flashing a confident smile, the Ikari suddenly turns and vaults the rail separating the crowd - fortunately renovations have led to the temporary removal of the glass that normally separates them, probably because glass just ain't American! Regardless, this allows the injured Whip to land with a gentle grunt in the arena proper, standing over the form of Jezebel looking toward the triumphant rudo. "And you won't win, Vyle, next week when you take on Lightning Spangles AND the new Sheriff of Thunder Mountain, together, with a vile partner of your choice!"
A sidelong glance swishes to the children she's left behind, and Whip puts a hand to her ear.
"Can I get a 'Yee-Haw'?"
Led by the tiny girl, whose doelike eyes shine with hope, Spangles' fans respond as one, "YEEEEE-HAAAAAWWW!"
The elbow drop scores true, Vyle feeling the point of his elbow strike down onto Jez's neck. Slow to stand back up from his own attack, the rudo feels rather...well, satisfied is stretching it. Relieved perhaps. He believes it's over.....
Not yet. Feeling the woman's hands on his shoulder's, his eyes widen. "THe hell....stay down, woman!" he shouts, backpedaling like his life depended on it as she snapped out kick, after kick, after kick. He was racing for his life, trying to barely stay out of the range of Spangles' legs....and when he falls back, he's almost sure he's done for....
Until he sees her falling to her knees. At first, it looks like it might be a double KO. But slowly...once the realization kicks in...Vyle stands. He slowly stands, and it's barely at that. But that...that seems to be enough.
A hand raises up, just long enough for a ref to call the fight....and only so long, falling back immediately on his ass soon as it's called. "NNnhhh....dammit woman. For a fake, you're crazy..." he mutters...like he was one to talk, exactly. And then...he hears the grown up fangirl laying out a challenge. He barely hears it, honestly, head swimming as it was. But he's heard enough similar challenges to get the gist of it.
"Right, right, whatever, duel at High Noon at the OK Corrall, or whatever," he mutters, definitely without the energy to be his usual taunting self. Though this new Sheriff does get a sidelong glance. Challenges like that don't just come out of nowhere, after all......
But that's for pondering when he's not about to collapse completely. In fact, it takes Arena staff to help him back up to his feet. He manages a silent stare at Spangles as he's helped off the floor. Considering just who this is?....his silence is probably the best sign of respect he could muster.
Lightning Spangles hangs on her knee.
Unmoving. Unrising. She couldn't stand. All she could do is rest on a knee. This was it. She had lost. The bad guy won. But she was utterly okay with it. She accepted it. Because it was a wonderful show. And because... because of that one fan. She looks back up, eyes bleary. But she turns that head to look.
To turn to Whip.
There was a smile on her face. Not a theatric smile. Not a Lightning Spangles smile. But a Jezebel smile. The Ikari Warrior didn't just inspire Lighting Spangles. She inspired the woman under the mask. Long ago, Jezebel was an inspiration to a little girl, afraid and alone in a horrible place. And 10 years later, Jezebel was that little girl. Trapped in a past, trapped in a mask. And for a moment, Jezebel could pretend. She could pretend that she made the world a better place.
Pretend it was real.
Turning back towards Vyle, she still has that real smile. The respect of two actors. Vyle and her were both fighters, both martial arts, both characters different sides of the same coin. A face and a heel. Vyle was the villain here, and truly, a heroine like Lightning Spangles would be nothing without a villain. She nods to the Rudo, in silent consent of her fate. Before puffing out her chest.
"Lightning Spangles will be back again... SOMEDAAAAAAAY!"
And then, she collapses, unconscious.
So the Bad guy wins in the end. Truly a dastardly outcome, a day that heroes all around the world along with their supporters would mourn, to see the fabled Lighting Spangles fall before Vyle's onslaught is nothing short of demoralizing, a deep wound to all do gooders that have ever drawn inspiration from the cowgirl taekwandoka.
All heroes, save from one tecnico luchador.
El Fuerte simply could not contain himself. For personal reasons he simply dislikes Jezebel too much to feel any sort of pity for the fallen cowgirl fighter and he is quite likely the only person clapping at Vyle's victory. It is a move that is most decidedly unexpected from one such as he, why would a tecnico favor a rudo over a face?
There is no time for explanations, not in the wild wild world of wrestling! No sooner has the challenged being issued, El Fuerte makes his appearance much to the crowd's surprise just as Vyle is about to be carried off the stage.
"Looks like you just got yourself a Mexican showdown amigo."
Could it be!? That El Fuerte, Hurricane of Mexico will be this 'vile partner' that Whip was talking about!?
"And you can't have a Mexican showdown without a Mexican."
Log created on 21:52:09 07/13/2012 by Vyle, and last modified on 11:44:10 07/15/2012.