The Very British Open! (For Acuya & LtLukas)

Gemma couldn't do anything, other than watch Jessica leave the ring out of the corner of her eye. A loose spasm of her leg was the only thing Gemma could manage, the impact of the steel chair on her already-weakened skull left her laid out, limp on the mat.

Gemma tried to force herself upright, as she watched Styx come back into the ring for another round. The Brit had bailed out earlier, at the prospect of facing off with the larger woman. As Gemma could barely get her little blonde head off of the mat, it didn't seem that was going to be an option, this time around. All Gemma could do now, way lie back, and wait for the worst.

Holly, meanwhile, was beside herself. She ran her hand down her face, wiping sweat and tears from her cheeks. "Come on, Gemma!" she plead with her partner, reaching her hand out. It was native, but the raven-haired bombshell was still hoping for some way to turn around this pathetic excuse for a challenge. "Get out of there! Come on!" Part of Holly might have been bolstered by the fact that, despite the beating she'd taken, she had been taken out of the match before she was ready. Desperate to protect her team's wounded pride, Holly was trying to convince herself there was still a chance.

Meanwhile, Gemma could only lie back, as Styx mounted her. Gemma lifted her head, as she felt Styx's powerful thighs clamp down on her and trap her. Then, she felt the swift backhand across her cheek! "Nnngh!" she groaned, her head whipping to one side as a spray of loose blood decorated the mat. Gemma huffed, her chest swelling against River's thighs. There was nothing the Brit could do, unfortunately. She was at River's mercy. Whatever this quick word was, there wasn't much Gemma could do about it. Holly, meanwhile, watched events with baited breath, white-knuckling the rope.

Styx could’ve done a lot of nasty things from this position, and under typical circumstances, she would’ve been greatly inclined to. Punching the shit out of Gemma was a possibility, as was simple choking, or she could’ve just slapped her until she gave up. That would’ve been fun.

But this had been long - if sadly easy - fight, and she didn’t want to draw it out much longer. Luckily for Gemma. Or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it.

”There we go.” Styx seized Gemma’s chin and held it tight, keeping her face centered. ”Just wanted to say, I really liked your spirit here, Gemma. Your partner’s not bad, either, but you,” She tapped the Britain’s nose. ”You’re special. I can tell. So when you’re feeling up to it, look me up for a rematch. Until then…”

Styx suddenly grabbed hold of Gemma’s throat and gave it a tight squeeze with both hands, squeezing the life clean out of her. She stood up, hauling her foe along with her, and lifted the light woman up, letting her dangle there as if a hangman’s noose was strangling her. In a way, it almost was.

She let that moment linger, let the audience get in their boos and jeers, let the referee ineffectively chide her, before she pushed Gemma forward, dropped flat to her ass, and slammed the blonde into the mat with devastating Chokebomb, making sure to get as much of her weight and power behind it as possible.

A finisher. At this point, the countdown was just a formality, but Styx went for it all the same, pressing down on Gemma’s chest to keep her shoulders against the floor.

The referee hurriedly dropped to her knees, wanting this over and done with as much as anyone. "1...!"

Gemma lay flat on her back, legs out wide, arms limply over her face in a futile effort to protect herself. Even by her usual standards, the Brit had taken it hard, in this one. Jessica and Styx had picked her body apart, till there was nothing left for Gemma to give.

The Brit felt Styx's hands clamp down on her slender throat, but she could barely make out the words Styx was saying to her. It was a compliment, it seemed, and a challenge to a rematch. Gemma's teeth clenched, as she winced. The words were little comfort, after the way that Jessica and Styx had completely mopped the floor with the Bombshells. Whatever "spirit" Styx thought Gemma had ... it didn't seem to be enough to save her and her team from being completely destroyed, tonight.

"Hhhggnnnn!" Gemma moaned, as Styx hoisted her up into the air. Gemma's body hung there, trembling, as her face grew redder and redder with each passing moment. The punky Brit's legs kicked and pumped, but accomplished nothing toward getting herself free. She was at Styx's mercy, which Gemma feared the powerful woman was all too light on. "Nnnnnuhh," Gemma groaned, one final time, her body dangling before Styx looking completely powerless to prevent what was coming next.

The two of them crashed into the mat with a thunderous sound. The fans went quiet, their jeers proving absolutely useless to deter Styx. Holly, at ringside, nearly jumped out of her ring gear in shock, at the impact Styx planted her partner down with. Gemma simply lay there, in the center of the ring. Arms lazily laid out above her head, legs spread around Styx, a gentle rise and fall of her chest being the only sign that the thoroughly battered and belittled Bombshell was even still alive. It was almost merciful, when Styx pressed her hands into Gemma's soft chest, and started the pin count.

"TWO!"

Holly buried her head in her arms, not wanting to watch this. It was over, that much was clear. The buxom Bombshell let out a sob, realizing that their great idea, their big "challenge" to try and assert themselves on the tag team division, had some out like this. Gemma couldn't muster up so much as a twitch, her limp body going almost utterly still, in Styx's arms. The British Bombshells had started their challenge off fun, pretty and peppy, but ended completely wasted by the level of competition that Jessica Wright and River Styx had brought.

"THREE!"

And that was it. There was a moment of silence, as Styx put Gemma down for the final count.

Just like that, it was all over.

Styx lazily pinned Gemma’s limp body to the floor, pinning her with the barest effort possible. Not out of disrespect, since she really had meant what she said when she gave the British spitfire credit for having chops. There was simply no reason to throw that much effort into pinning her down. Styx could’ve pinned her with a pinky finger at this point.

She stood up and let the referee do her job, attending to what was left of the poor, battered blonde. She stood up and stretched, wiping a few beads of sweat off her forehead.

”Think we’re pretty much done here.” She gave Jessica a light - by their standards - fist bump on the shoulder, then started to move through the ropes, only to pause halfway. ”Unless…”

She suddenly turned towards Holly, flashing a wolf’s grin her way and getting one final look at that awesome chest. Couldn’t help herself. ”Hey, Holly? You don’t still want to play, do you? Yes? No?”

Jessica rubbed her shoulder a bit. She made a mental note to pay River back for it later. Sure, it wasn't as bad as her punches usually were, but River knew her too well to expect that Jessica would go for anything less than an eye for an eye. The downed British girl was a pathetic sight to see for everyone in attendance, yet Jessica was the awfully merry. They had won, WAR had won, and now these bitches knew who was at the top of the pecking order.

"Yeah, Holly. Is your challenge totally over? Where is all your gusto now?" Jessica leaned over the rope, staring at the junior partner.

Gemma lay, limp and motionless beneath Styx. After that final, decisive impact, there was no way that Gemma was going to be moving any time soon. Her softly shut eyelids and steady breathing, chest slowly rising and falling beneath Styx's hands, were enough to show that the poor Brit was completely out cold. Styx had finished her off on no uncertain terms, burying the Bombshell under a mountain of pain that she wasn't digging her way out of any time soon.

At ringside, however, Holly was all too aware. She had watched with horror, as Styx slammed her partner into the mat for the finishing blow. She'd felt the impact rattle her boots, as Gemma was battered against the mat. She couldn't bring herself to watch the final pinfall, but it was academic. There was no doubt that her friend was finished. The remaining Brit looked up, however, as Styx grinned her way.

Holly visibly squirmed, under Styx's predatory gaze. She bit her lip, squared her shoudlers, and tried to look strong. The Bombshell's open challenge had gone as disasterously as it possibly could have, but the posh Brit's sense of pride wouldn't let her completely crumble. Besides, she looked at Gemma, lying broken and still in the center of the mat. After everything she had gone through, Holly couldn't just leave her friend lying there.

"J-just get off my friend, you vicious slag," Holly said, trying to sound demanding with her quavering voice. The Bombshell's entire, curvaceous body was visibly trembling. She stepped between the ropes, and entered the ring. Holly fixed Styx, and then Jessica, with a half-hearted glare, hoping that she could stand up for herself at least long enough to recover her friend. It was all she could do, to repay Gemma for the suffering she'd put herself through on the team's behalf, tonight. Despite the tension welling up through every inch of her aching body, Holly couldn't sacrifice that last bit of their dignity that she was still holding onto. She couldn't let herself back down.

Styx kept her gaze locked on Holly as bravely made her way into the ring in the most tepid way possible. It was actually kind of weird, as if the Britain was simultaneously the bravest and most cowardly person she’d ever met, while also having the nicest rack.

For the longest time, she didn’t move as Holly made her way into the ring. She didn’t say anything. She didn’t do anything. She just stood there and watched as she came into the squared circle, a mouse daring to step in a lion’s cage.

Then, and only thing, did Styx move. She casually strolled up to the terrified woman, looming over her with a hulking frame, brought her hand up high, and...gave Holly a gentle pat on the head.

”Have a nice day, sugar tits.” Styx gave her a quick wink, then made her way back to Jessica. She dropped down and rolled under the ropes, making her way to the back like they were just two friends out on the night for a little fun.

”You hungry?” Styx gave Jessica a little nudge as they walked. ”That bar we met at the first time’s under new management, might let us in again.”

Holly's entire body was trembling, as Styx looked her over. The British Bombshell's wet, wide eyes darted from Styx, to Jessica, to the fallen body of Gemma. She couldn't just leave her partner, but it took everything Holly had to not bail out of the ring.

She stepped closer to Gemma gingerly, shoulders shaking, each step more tentative than the last. Styx was like an immovable stone, looming over her. She seemed to block out the arena lights. When the monumental Styx finally did move, stepping toward her slowly and deliberately, Holly froze. Her hands went up defensively. Not in a fighting stance, but like an animal caught in the headlights. The Brit nearly screamed, when Styx patted her on the head.

Then Styx ... turned around. Certainly, she'd insulted Holly, and the Brit blushed in frustration and embarrassment at not being able to do a damn thing about it. However, she didn't slam Holly through the mat. She didn't twist her head off. She didn't do any of the horrible things she and her partner had enacted on them, during the match. The confidence that Styx left the ring with, however, hurt as well. Like Holly was nothing. Not even worth thinking of as an opponent. Maybe some eye candy, worth commenting on, but not worrying about, as a fighter.

Holly pushed swallowed her pride, and rushed to Gemma's side. Kneeling beside the fallen Brit, Holly could tell Gemma was completely out cold. She'd need to wait for medical staff, to get Gemma's body backstage. For now, Holly simply cradled Gemma's head, and knelt over her protectively. Her back to the women who had laid the Bombshells to waste, tonight, Holly thought about how much pain they would be in, for quite some time, as their "big open challenge" was coming to a close with nothing but total defeat washing over them.

The bloody business of the evening had come to a merciful end. Jessica stood all the way up and took a mental picture of the ring. It was gorgeous, a da Vinci, what they had done. The perfect storm of violence brought the Brits' adventuring to a quick a brutal end, and Jessica was fairly proud of the work that she had accomplished together with her friend. Their two opponents got a few more licks in that Jessica would have otherwise liked, but there was only so much she could do about that.

"Sure, let's hit it." Jessica hopped down from the ring. It was over. It was all over. Jessica walked alongside River as they marched side by side into whatever the future held for them.