Summer Splash Challenge! Taylor Vs. Adrian: Event 3!

Match Type: Chess Boxing
Winning Conditions: Whoever scores a checkmate or knockout will be declared the winner. If a contestant cannot complete the chess match within the allotted time, she will be declared the loser. If the chess match goes to a stalemate and/or the boxing rounds are completed, then the boxing scorecards will determine the winner.

Back in the ring of the arena, the lights dimmed waiting for the third and final challenge between Adrian Kytes and Taylor Parker before their big match at Summer Splash! Lukretia's music began to play and she stepped down the ring. The rest of the crew was already in place, they had came in under the dimmed arena lights. Lukretia wore a pair of black wrestling boots with nearly invisible fishnets, tight fitting low cut black shorts and a striped referee's shirt that was knotted up, showing of her toned midriff.

She strolled down tot he ring and looked around, the chess board was set up and she grabbed a microphone. "Ladies und gentlemen," she began, the boos raining down upon her as shes miled, "For our third und final competition, ve vill have Chess Boxing. A vunderbar little nice sport zat is as it sounds. First ve begin vith a round of Chess, three minutes. Zen zere vill be a minute break so ze ladies can change gear. Zey vill box for three minutes und zis vill repeat. Six rounds of chess und five three minute rounds of boxing. A vinner vill be declared if she vins in chess, scores a checkmate, or if she scores a knockdown or stoppage in boxing. In ze event of a stalemate in chess or ze conclusion of ze boxing rounds, judges vill score ze boxing round to determine a vinner. Ve vill be using fast chess rules so if a contestant cannot finish ze game in twelve minutes, zen she vill loose zat vay. Both vomen have been addressed und know ze rules."

The lights flashed on the judges table and there were two sliver haired maids and Xenia Rath sitting in the middle. "I vill be ze referee for ze boxing und Miss Rath vill be ze head judge. I assure you, she is ze most objective voman I know. Now, vithout further ado, let's bring in ze contestants!"

Chess boxing was not 'vundabar' in Adrian's mind. It was stupid. Mainly from a crowd perspective: people who paid to see two women punch the shit out of each other wouldn't be interested in the chess side and those who would want to watch people play chess live wouldn't like the action being stopped every 3 minutes so the two ladies could punch the shit out of each other. Plus anyone who was following pro-level chess would be tearing up inside at how bad the players were after taking a few shots to the head.

Still, it was the last stop before Summer Splash. The last chance to measure up against each other for the two rivals, it deserved both of them going all out for that if nothing else, and as Adrian laced up her black boots she was ready to take on the world. [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKAWlZGe18M:1ypnpoxw]Letting her theme[/url:1ypnpoxw] play as she strode down to the ring, dressed in a black tank top with green shorts, Adrian was feeling pumped up. Her crash course in boxing had given her the confidence she needed to take it to Taylor with the gloves on and grinding out various chess videos and strategies gave her the confidence for when the gloves were off and they were on the board. Not even Lukretia was going to dampen her mood today. She was thinking positive and keeping pumped.

[url=http://youtu.be/6qz_iKTv214:1ny7mb5n]Taylor wasted no time[/url:1ny7mb5n] getting into the arena when her music kicked in. She bounded into view with a big, radiant grin and her pigtails bouncing along behind her. She looked nearly weightless with the way she spent more time in the air than on the ground.

Without breaking stride, she threw herself into her usual fast, neat aerial cartwheel, and followed it with a spectacular flash kick, kicking one leg up high and carrying the momentum through into a back flip. She landed with one hand and one knee down, her head bowed and her other hand back behind her. When she lifted her head, her indigo eyes were fixed on Adrian, and she launched herself down the ramp at high speed, arms out to the sides to slap palms with fans as she passed.

She dove headfirst under the bottom rope and leapt up to her feet. She wore a little pair of bright red shorts and red Chuck Taylors to go with her blue Superman t-shirt, and of course her dark, dramatic, punky eye makeup was a must. Her hands bore the bulky white gauze wraps that the AFW staff had applied and okay'd backstage, but the fight gloves would come later. First, there was chess.

She wasn't worried about the chess part. If she lost because of chess, Adrian would have bragging rights and whatever thing Lukretia had for the winner. In light of some recent events, bragging rights didn't seem quite as much like the end of the world anymore... She had other things on her mind lately, things she was more than happy to distract herself from with training.

The boxing part almost seemed academic. Taylor had used her fists her whole life, and she had always trained predominantly as a striker. If she were to ever quit pro wrestling, kickboxing or something would probably be an option for her, not that she had any intention of leaving AFW. She was a pro wrestler through and through.

Though she still looked forward to punching Adrian in the face. That was always fun.

"You're lookin' pretty dry, dude," Taylor called across the ring to Adrian, motioning to wipe away imaginary tears with her finger. "That's cool. I'll tell you right now, I had never played chess before, like, a couple weeks ago. It's a'right, though." She gave Adrian a wink and a wry smile while she bounced in place in her corner.

"Alrigth ladies." Lukretia said whent he girls were finally in place. "I'm sure you're both eager to use your fists but first you must use your brains." The German said, tapping the side of her head. "Now zat you've gotten a good look, let us begin."

Lukretia stepped through the ropes and hopped off the ring apron to the chess board all with the pieces set and the chess board ready. "Now zen," Lukretoa said as she waved her hand in front of the pieces. "Ms. Parker vill be vhite und have ze first move. Miss Kytes vill be playing black. Ze clock vill begin once Ms. Parker has touched her first piece. I vill keep meine eye on ze clock." She said, lifting up her stopwatch. "Good luck to ze both of you. Now shake und begin!"

"Surprised you even bothered with the punk makeup. Guess it hides the bruises you're gonna get." Adrian said back before Lukretia pulled them in to get started with the chess. "May the best woman win, I guess..." She said extending a hand. "I mean I know I will, just making sure you knew too." the former cosplayer taunted, sticking out her tongue before moving on to the table. 3 minutes wasn't that long for chess but it was for boxing. She'd have to be pretty much perfect to avoid the boxing section.

"Wait. Why am I black?" Adrian asked. "Isn't that something we have to flip for?" She wondered before sitting down on the black side of the table. Not that it made that much difference if Taylor really was as inexperienced as she said she was, but still: white side had the advantage. Chess was racist like that.

"Yes, it will cover up all the bruises on my eyelids."

Taylor rolled out of the ring and took a chair at the chess board. She gave Adrian's hand one strong shake. "Man, your trash talk is almost as bad as your music," she said. "Fuckin'... terrible."

She looked down at the board, and thought that maybe she could do it. Everything always came together when it was time to perform. She came alive in front of a crowd and under the lights when the pressure was on, and maybe the same would be true for chess. Maybe she was a better chess player than she knew.

But maybe not.

"Oh, you're fucked now," she said with good natured sarcasm. Clearly, the first move was the deciding factor with the game.

She didn't over think it. She grabbed the pawn in front of the castley guy and moved it up two spaces, and then leaned back in her chair with one arm draped over the backrest.

"My music's awesome, miss Rise Against." Adrian shot back before concentrating on the board, peering over Taylor's move hoping to get a decent insight as to what strategy she was trying. Or it was just a random move because it's the first play. Whatever, she couldn't really expect to win from just the first move of the game and the former cosplayer responded by moving her knight first, trying to get her more mobile pieces out early.

"Okay, Super Mario."

Taylor continued to casually move her pieces, taking her sweet time in between each one while the clock ran down. Chess never got stressful until near the end, anyway.

"I saw Donkey Kong the other day. Did she tell you?" She remarked as she moved a pawn up. "I asked her to let us do our thing and not fuck it up like she did to Tomomi. She threatened my friends, like the fat one better not interfere! Ya know, because that's happened. It was pretty weird. She's a real charmer, though." She glanced down at the clock. How much longer until boxing?

In comparison to Taylor's slow, obviously delaying tactics, Adrian's moments were much faster. As though she already had them in her head before she even got a turn. "Oooh yeah... well you've pretty much been permanently on her shit list forever. And Akashi's like on a... what's worse than a shit list? Shittier list?" To be honest, she didn't really like the idea of Rebecca and Akashi being mortal enemies or whatever the term was, if they had met before their first 'match' it might had turned out differently, but oh well.

She had managed to get her King side Knight and Bishop out of the way in just a few moves, now it was time for some super secret techniques... later. For now she was content to slowly advance a few pawns while having the knights just move around to threaten Taylor's pawns.

"Man, I want your life," Taylor said, and leaned back away from the board and looked at Adrian, just letting the clock tick down. "How great would it be if I had some goddamn battleship following me around solving all my problems for me. Everyone who even looks at you the wrong way has to always look over their shoulder for the rest of their lives." She shook her head.

"That's fucked up, though. I guess that's why you can't ever deal with shit, because you don't have the practice. I bet you're so proud, though, I bet Tomomi tells people all the time about what a talented girl you are. I wonder how much talent you really have." She looked down at the clock as the round timer ticked dry. "I wonder what your life would be like if you had always fought your own battles."

She stood up. Bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, she was already ready to glove up and get in the ring.