Vida Fenix vs. Stone (w/Mako) - The Fine Art of Fair Play

Mako found exactly what she needed under the ring apron: a golf club. Perfect. Light, easy to use, and it would get some good impact if she used it just right. And she knew just were to hit, too - the little Latina bitch like to run around so much, so she'd take those legs out from under her.

As Vida stepped back Mako got into position, holding the golf club low as she casually slid over behind Mako. Vida was focused on Stone. The referee was focused on Stone. Even the audience seemed to forget that Mako was there. The tension hung thick in the air, and it looked like the final move of the match was about to happen. David was going to finally slay Goliath in an explosive climax, and Mako knew she'd have to time her strike just right. No second chances, here.

Stone started to sit up, Vida started to run, and Mako made her move. She jumped up and tried to swing the golf club at her ankles through the bottom rope, whip the metal right into those tendons and trip her up. If all went well, the referee wouldn't known what happened until it was too late to do anything about it.

Vida could feel the tension in the crowd rising with every step back that she took. The rookie couldn't believe how fortunate she'd been, tonight, to have the crowd's constant support, helping her to push through the considerable pain. Really, she even felt supported by her opponent, by Stone's displays of respect and dignity throughout the match. And now, the newbie had a chance to really show the world what she was capable of. To pay them back, for all of their faith in her ability. The shining wizard she went for now would set Stone up to take her signature move, the Phoenix Fall, to a flawless end to an amazing match up!

Vida's focus was completely on Stone, and on the final steps she'd need to take to put away her powerful opponent and take this upstart win. So complete, in fact, that the rookie didn't register the shift in the crowd's tone. Or the blue-haired figure that was about to bring all of her hopes crashing down, from ringside.

Just when Vida was breaking into her run, she felt the collision of something hard and merciless, against her ankle. “Aaaaiiieee!” she cried out, tripping and flopping down hard to the mat. Immediately, Vida curled into a fetal position, both hands desperately clutching her battered ankle. The pain was stinging, blinding. Vida's face was a mask of pain, shock and confusion, as she nursed the injured joint. In an instant, all of the hope and dignity that Vida had mounted behind herself had evaporated, the rookie left battered on the mat, wondering what on earth had just happened to her.

Suddenly, everything was a blur. There was little thought in Stone's mind - it was mostly action.

She'd started to get up as Vida headed her way. What the feisty girl was going for, Stone couldn't be sure, but it was a fair bet that it would put her on the road to her first loss in the AFW ring. That match had been tense, exciting, suitably epic, but even the best things have to come to a close sometime, and this battle had run its course. It was time for her to fall.

That was what Stone expected to happen, anyway. What actually happened was that Vida fell down out of nowhere, for no reason. If she'd been more lucid, Stone would have wondered exactly what had happened, and even now she was processing a few things in her mind, putting two and two together. But her body wasn't interested in mathematics. It was trained to attack weakness wherever it was found, and right now Vida was looking quite weak.

She pounced on Vida and took hold, grabbing her from behind and yanking her out of the fetal position. Submissions weren't her style, but she knew a few simple ones, and it's hard to get simpler than a classic sleeperhold. She wrapped her legs around the little girl's waist, brought her arm around her neck, and then started trying to squeeze on her. powering down hard. Hopefully, she could make it quick.

Everything around Vida was a whirlwind of light, sound,shock and pain. One moment, she'd been in position to execute a flawless end to what had been a perfect match-up. Vida could actually see her hand being raised in victory, for the first time, and it would have been after a competitive match with a worthy foe. Instead, out of nowhere, she was on the mat and sobbing in agony, trying to figure out what had gone wrong.

The rookie peered out between tear-soaked eyelids, as she tried to make sense of the situation. The latina recalled Mako, glaring at her from ringside, this entire match. It was the only logical explanation, but not one Vida wanted to accept. Stone had been so strong, so competitive. Would she really stoop to such awful tactics, to score a victory?

Swiftly, though, Stone was on top of her. Vida was able to offer only a pathetic, slight resistance, as Stone yanked her into the sleeperhold position. The rookie's main concern was trying to nurse that ankle, which she could already feel swelling within her boot, leaving her unable to mount any sort of counter, to Stone's grappling.

The aches and pains that Vida had tried to ignore in her torso suddenly flared back to life, as Stone's powerful legs wrapped around her body. Stone's powerful arm around her slender throat meant that the rookie would be able to take in little air, if any at all. Of course, having spent that last previous few moments screaming in pain and confusion certainly hadn't done much to her, in that regard.

From there, everything felt very underwater. Vida could only hear the vague drone of the crowd, around her. The voice of the referee was barely audible, as she stepped in. Vida could feel the ref's attempts to pick up her hand and check for a response. She made three such attempts, only for Vida's arm to flop lifelessly against the mat, again and again. When the bell rang, it barely registered in the hazy mind of the young rookie, as everything around her faded to black.

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong.

Those thoughts echoed through Stone's mind as she kept up the hold and Vida's body slackened against her. The girl was so graceful, so skilled. Had she sprained her ankle? Tripped? She didn't seem the type, not nearly that clumsy. It sounded like she was in total pain, far too focused on the pain in her ankle to mount any real escape. As the referee counted her out, the crowd seemed to erupt into a booing frenzy. They hadn't exactly been welcoming her to at any point before, of course, but now they seemed ready to riot. Why...

Her gaze went to Mako as the referee called for the bell, signaling her first victory. If you could even call what Stone suspected just happened a 'victory'. Her leader was just standing there at ringside, trying to look innocent with a smile that might've fooled someone who wasn't used to her bullshit. But not Stone. Never Stone.

"What did you do?" Stone laid Vida to the side, gently letting her rest, and stood up. She glared down hard, like her look aline could force the truth out. "I specifically told you-"

"Okay, first thing, you don't get to tell me anything." Mako threw up her hands, looking from side to side. "What are you looking at me for, I didn't do shit. Not my fault if the little mamacita's got two left feet."

Yeah, she wasn't buying that for one damn second. Stone rolled her eyes and moved back to Vida. She looked her over for a moment and slapped herself on the forehead for being so stupid. Should've been paying more attention. Should've seen that coming. Shouldn't have let Mako's cheating ass come down in the first place! "Idiot." She knelt and scooped the latina up as the boos reached a new height. The crowd probably thought she wanted to take Vida in the back and work her over, not the most uncommon thing in the AFW. Couldn't be further from the truth.

"Hey, wait!" Mako ran over as Stone stepped over the ropes with Vida in her arms. "What are you doing, where are we going?"

"We're not going anywhere." Stone hopped down the stairs with her eyes focused on the ramp. Not even a glance wasted on Mako. "I'm done with you for the day."

"But I-"

"Fucking done, Mako!" Without another word, she strolled up the ramp and disappeared behind the curtain.

When Stone rolled the limp latina off of her, she was completely oblivious to the chorus of jeers rising around her. In fact, the latina warrior was oblivious to many of the things that were happening. The argument between Stone and her violent manager, to the crowd offering their disapproval. The referee checking her over, trying to check the young woman's body over for the sort of injury that could account for the sudden turn of fate, in the match.

Vida rolled softly and listlessly, as Stone set her aside. The rookie was entirely unresponsive, prompting the ref girl to call for assistance from the back. After Stone disappeared behind the curtains, a crew of trainers came out to collect Vida. Hoisting the girl onto a stretcher, a member of the medical staff gave Vida the once-over to try and discern what was wrong. Slowly, deliberately, the crew began to wheel the rookie's motionless body out of the arena.

Some of the crowd tried to rouse Vida, with a wavering "Vi-da-Fe-nix" chant. That chant would come to naught, however. The girl's body was bound for the medical offices, and no amount of fan support was going to rouse her, before she disappeared behind those curtains.

Winner: Stone, via submission.