Akane Akiyama vs. Armando 'Army' Rodriguez - Slugfest

Drake was talking again.

In the short time Carmen had come to know this man, she’d learned to loathe the sound of his voice. She was accustomed to people talking to her during matches and trying to get under her skin - it was just the sort of thing that came with the territory of being a wrestler. But she swore, for the life of her that she could not get used to level of yapping that Drake seemed enamored with. It wasn’t just that he spoke a lot, but so much of it was spent trying to psychoanalyze her, and that he kept hitting the mark was an extra irritation, whether he meant to or not.

”Drake…” She raised a hand and balled it into a fist, as the urge to smack him upside the head grew, but she was able to keep herself restrained through some small miracle. For now. How long that would last, she’d have to see.

”Just stay out of this fight. First warning. Last warning.”

She took a step back and turned her attention the ring, only sparing the occasional glance his way and keeping an eye out for movements. It wasn’t a matter of if Drake would do something stupid, but when.

In the meantime, Akane had reverted into Terminator mode, and Army found himself withering under the assault. He’d hope the axe handle could buy him some time, that it would’ve put her on the floor, the same way it would’ve worked on just about every human on the planet.

Not this one. If anything, it just seemed to make Akane come towards him harder and more determined, as if her sole goal was to drag him across the canvas. A hand went to his wrist and latched on with a tight, inexorable grip, and that same force clamped down on his throat a moment later, choking the life out of him, making him fight for every breath.

”You’ve got...a fucking high opinion of yourself…”

It wasn’t much of a comeback, but with the limited air he was working with, it would have to do. He mounted his escape attempt a moment later, as he tried to move his foot behind her ankle and push forward, hoping to trip her up and break her vise grip.

Drake’s word seemed to hit right on the mark. For a minute, it looked like Carmen might actually try something, the way she balled her hand into a fist for him to see. Drake was so smug he simply smiled, like he was looking at a small child rather than an Olympic boxer. Every action he had made was a challenge, an insult, a dare to come after him, yet in the end Carmen did not seem to bite. It was a little disappointing, but not unexpected.

With her final warning out of the way, Drake would not respond. Not verbally. His facial expression, body language, and eye contact all sent a very clear message to Carmen.

Fuck you

Drake shrugged his shoulders, knowing he was not going to get her to try anything further unless physically provoked, Drake turned and walked off towards a different part of the ring. He didn’t bother trying to sneak away. He knew he was going to try something, she knew he was going to try something. All the two were waiting for was the chance for Drake to mess with the fight. Knowing how crafty Drake could be, that would not be long.

--

Akane, meanwhile, only had Army’s neck on her mind. Her grip seemed to close tighter and tighter around his muscled neck. Even as her hand muscles screamed for her to stop, she persisted, putting more effort into the grip, wanting to wring every last breath from his throat. She thought about releasing her other hand to assist in the strangle, but she still had some rational thought left, and decided giving the boxed both of his arms was a bad idea.
But then he had to go and talk…

“Oh ho ho~” The chuckle sounded weird when spoken in a monotone voice, “It speaks? Well, I suppose some garbage does scream when you burn it.”

Somehow, she managed to squeeze even tighter, one of the joints in her hand making an audible “crack” as more pressure was put on it, all while leaning in closer, trying to get a better angle and put more strain on him.

She didn’t notice his foot snake around her ankle, and the sudden forceful shove caused her to lose her balance. For a split second, her grip held around Army’s neck. But, it finally faltered as her tired hand muscles couldn’t handle the tight grip and her body weight at the same time. Akane landed on her back, arms spread to the side.

She hit her head in the fall, a sharp pain stabbed the back of her head. She was a bit dizzy, but she had enough sense to know she would not be able to get off the ground before Army had a chance to reassert his offense. The look she gave Army from the ground was, of course, not a kind one.

“Fucking trash…”

If Army pushed his attack, Akane would reel her two legs back in preparation for a donkey kick from the floor. She really could not mount a better offense in her position, which made the brawler even more agitated.

Luckily for Drake’s face and Carmen’s patience, the one-eyed man didn’t see the need to say much after that. Oh, he had enough to convey nonverbally, giving her that same nonchalant, uncaring gaze that she’d come to be greatly aggravated by in their match. But she could push past it. Ignore. So long as he didn’t get involved in the match, she wouldn’t get involved with him.

Of course, for that to happen, Drake couldn’t be stubborn and would have to learn his lesson and back off. As she was learning to her regret, he really was an incredibly stubborn man.

So could Army. He was holding on, struggling to stay away as Akane continued to pour on far more pressure than he’d thought a woman was even capable of, threatening to knock him right out if he caved in for a single second. She had these powerful, unflinching, iron muscles that kept crushing away, and he could feel his bones starting to give. Perhaps even more distressing, he could hear them.

He wasn’t going out. Not like this.

So he fought. He struggled. He tried the trip and managed to bear some fruit with it, getting her on the floor. Knowing this was the rare chance he’d hoped for, Army was quick to move in, looking to get on top of her before she could squirm her way out.

She screwed that up for him with two well-placed boots to the chest, hitting him before he could come all the down and sending him reeling. Army flopped away with his arms out, coming down hard on his back, not too far from where Drake stood.

A fact that was no missed by Carmen. She took a few steps closer to Drake now, ready and more than willing to bumrush him if - most likely ‘when’ - he tried another interruption. She had her own unspoken message for him, hidden in her glare.

Go ahead and try.

Akane was successful in knocking the larger man over, hearing him stumble and crash down onto the floor, sending shockwaves through the ring. The crowd seemed to be getting really into it, cheers from all over was filling her ears as she laid on her back, trying to catch her breath. That last bout had taken a surprising amount out of her, both of her hands were sore from over use. Army seemed alarmed when he hard the cracking noises, perhaps thinking it was his neck, when in actuality it was Akane’s knuckles, her hand muscles pushing down hard enough to make a few of her own joints to crack.

For a few moments, she laid there trying to catch her breath, her generous breasts rising and falling with each breath. Finally, through grit teeth, the brawler rolled over and got on all fours, trying to shake the strain and pain from her hands.  

She scanned the ring, Seeing Carmen looking…well, rather mad. Following her line off sight, she realized why. Army was down, his form laying awfully close to the ropes, and just outside them was Drake. Akane knew all about Drake’s penchant for kicking people when they were down, and the sharp glare he was giving Army gave away his ill will for the man before him. Drake had yet to make a move on Army, but Akane was not going to let him interfere with her fight.

“Drake!” She yelled, getting her colleagues bored stare to focus on her, “Don’t touch this guy, I can take him out without your help!”

Army was the one who threw Drake at her, he was the one who acted cocky since they first met, and he was the one that challenged her. She wanted this guy all to herself, her best against his. Drake could have whatever was left.

--

Drake watched as Akane’s kick pushed Army hard enough to force him to crash onto the ring floor. Right in front of him, coincidentally. If Drake wanted to, he could probably reach in, drag Army’s arm out of the ring, and smash it down to dish out some serious damage to the boxer. He could grab his hair and tug it hard enough to pull a few strands out, and dragging him closer to the edge. There was a number of things he could have done,

Yet Drake simply looked down on Army. His calculating eye looking down with a disappointed aura emanating from his glare. Drake could hear Carmen’s foot steps step closer, but he did not bother to give her his attention. She had it just a moment ago, and she cut it off. In business, it was sometimes advantageous to leave someone to stew, and he liked reminding Carmen that she was not his priority right now. He just wanted Akane to win, so that he could collect his bet.

Still, it is good to keep your enemies guessing.

Stepping forward, getting close to Army, Drake said in a cheerful voice, “Hey there slugger. Remember me?” Drake tone seemed nice, and the smile seemed genuine, but coming from him it was clearly mocking the downed man, “Having a bit of trouble? Don’t worry, you’ll get it eventually, just get back up…get back up, so you can fall down again.”

About that time is when Akane called out to him, Drakes gaze quickly turning bored as his former-boss decided to give him instructions. Whether he decided to listen to them or not remained to be seen…

Carmen cursed under her breath as Army came down perilously close to Drake. The moment was primed for him to interfere in some fashion, with the referee looking away for a moment to focus on Akane. All the one-eyed jerk had to do was reach out and give him a good punch in the skull, and even that little bit would be enough to further tip the scales in Akane’s favor.

He started to move for it and Carmen started to move for him, ready to tackle him and give him the beating she promised. As it turned out, she needn’t have bothered.

She came to screeching halt when Akane came over and called out to her compatriot. For whatever reason, it was enough to halt Drake’s actions right away, like he was bound to follow her every order, and it just made Carmen wonder more and more about the real relationship they had. It wasn’t a boyfriend and a girlfriend, Akane seemed adamant about that, but they seemed closer than any passing acquaintances she had.

Army was contemplating that, too. His thoughts were more on the opening all that talk had just made, and less on the crap Drake had been feeding in his ear a moment ago. He knew guys like that all too well - talking a lot of crap, but all too ready to run and hide when things got physical. Akane was still the main threat here, not him. And with her distracted, if only for a moment, there was no better time to strike.

With her on all fours nearby, Army rocked up to his knees, placing a foot on the ground, and used it to launch himself up high, getting some decent air above her. It would’ve been a nasty crash no matter how he tried to spin it, with his two-hundred pounds coming down right on top of her.

But he decided to make it just that much worse, as he raised his arm and attempted come down on the small of her back with an elbow drop, one that had more than enough power behind it to flatten her underneath.

Akane made sure to keep her eyes on Drake until he backed off a bit. They had known each other for some time, and she knew what kind of man he was. He had a nasty ability to surprise people, almost always in a negative way, and just because he listened to an order once doesn’t mean he would again. Drake’s loyalty lied only with himself, and he would follow anyone that seemed like they could help provide him with what he wanted. If Drake had known somebody tougher than his ex-boss, he likely wouldn’t be there watching the fight.

Once she knew Drake wouldn’t pull anything, her mind went back to the fight. Looking over expecting to see her foe just starting to get up, her eyes widened in surprise to find he was in fact in the air.

The impact was loud and hard. The full force of Army’s body weight smashed Akane, driving her down till she was flat on her stomach. As if the was not painful enough, Army’s elbow had smashed deep into Akane’s back, her long scream of pain doing little to ease her suffering.

More of out instinct to get away from the source of the pain, Akane threw a wild elbow behind her, looking to strike at the man so that she could free herself and get away from the excruciating pain.

--

Up went Army, down went Akane.

Drake watched dispassionately as Akane took the brunt of the impact. Despite the bored look on his face, he was seething inside. He had a clear shot at Army, and Akane had to go and waste it like that. Despite how competent she could be in fights, she was always selfish, constantly wanting her opponents for herself. Well, she was certainly paying for it now.

“Heh…”

For now, Drake would bide his time, his goal made all the more difficult now that he had to avoid three pairs of eyes, The Referee, Army, and Akane. Carmen would likely sniff him out either way, so why bother hiding it from her? So long as he got what he wanted, he would go to any lengths to secure his goals.

Agility was never Army strong suit, but he’d picked up a little bonus to that stat in his time with the AFW. While leaping like that was never his first option, it did serve him when he needed to take someone by surprise, and this was a prime example - Akane only had time to look his way in disbelief, and then BAM. She was flat, he was on top, and the crowd was...booing?

Well, some of them. Despite Drake’s interference, it seemed like a fair amount of them were still on Akane’s side, rooting her on. He could kind of get why - the audience loved their new toys, pretty hot, and as much as he hated to admit, she was a good wrestler with a lot of fire. She’d go far in Tension.

Just not here. Not against him. Not tonight.

”Sorry, Red.” He was quick to follow up, moving to wrap his hands around her waist and clutch her tight, getting ready for a suplex. ”But it’s about time for you-”

Whatever Army was about to say, he was wrong, unless he was about to say it was her time to crack him in the jaw with an elbow, loosening up a few of his favorite teeth. With his world thoroughly rocked, he rolled off Akane, grabbed the ropes, and began a sluggish ascent to his feet.

From the ringside, Carmen winced at the impact, but still cast the occasional glance towards Drake. He was going to spring something. She knew he was going to spring something. What was more, he had to know that she knew. So it was just a question of whether she’d be able to move fast enough to intercept, and she had every intention of that being the case. ”Come on, Army! Guard up!”

For a split second, fear founds its way into the Akane’s heart as she felt Army’s hand snake around her waist, clearly going for some sort of heavy power move. She was certain that if he managed to pull it off, it would likely be the end of the match, as the red head was growing tired, the boxer proving to be far more formidable than she first thought, and going into the fight she knew Army would be a tough nut to crack. It was by pure luck Akane’s elbow had accidently found it’s mark, smashing Army in the face, of all places. The Brawlers luck must have been holding out, because the larger man actually rolled off of her, freeing her from his grip and all 200 plus pounds of his weight.

Army crawled to one side of the ring, Akane crawled towards the other. Both fighters needing the ropes support to get back on their feet.

The crowd was cheering, some of them booing. The red head didn’t hear them, and even if she did, she did not care. She needed a quick breather, trying to get air back in her lungs and trying her best to stop the sting in her back and ribs that came with Army’s crushing attack.

--

Judging by the condition of the two fighters, this fight was slowly drawing to a close. Both of them seemed tired, beaten, and bruised. Likely, it only each individual determination to beat the other that kept them going. Perhaps what had started out as an angry feud was slowing branching off into a sort of respect for one another.

Or not. Drake didn’t care either way. He had a stake in the fight, and he was not so interested in being passive anymore.

When Army sluggishly rolled over and grabbed the ropes, Drake saw a prime opportunity that likely would not come again before the match was over. His calculating eye analyzed the situation, and found it too good to pass up, no matter what the boxer’s sister had planned. After confirming the details in his head, the only change in his stone expression was a slight smile. Everything would work out.

Knowing he was being watched only by Carmen, Drake dashed off to the side. As soon as he had enough distance, his pace slowed just enough to make it seem as if he was walking, in case the referee spared a glance from the two fighters to check outside the ring. As soon as he got enough to Army, Drake would jump up near the ropes, using Army’s own body as cover.

“Come on, Mutt,” Drake would whisper in Army’s face, “Guard up.”

With his petty revenge out of the way, Drake pulled his own fist back, ready to shot it right for Army’s face. If he succeded, he would fall back immediately. No matter what happened, his smug smile would be readily apparent for Army to see.

That was about all that Carmen could take.

She’d been watching as Army and Akane continued to go at it, honestly impressed with both of them. Army was rarely pressed this hard and direct - most of his opponents tried to outmaneuver him, attempted to confound him with their speed and leave him in the dust. Akane, however was bringing the fight straight to him, could give every bit as good as she got and knew how to pour on pressure.

Akane, on the other hand was a brawler, but one who showed a lot more skill and instinct that Carmen would’ve associated with that label. She had half a mind to ask where she’d picked up this style from - she seemed to refined, too well made, too gifted to be someone who’d just come in from the streets for a quick payday, like far too many others in the Tension roster.

It was all coming together for a good match. At least, it would be, if Drake didn’t seem hellbent on ruining it. Which he did. Naturally.

Like the snake he was, he waited for the right, opportune moment to strike, just as Army was recovering from a mix up with Akane, and struck him clean on the face, making him roll off to the side. Carmen couldn’t move quick enough to close the distance and keep that from happening, much to her regret. But she could make sure that Drake paid for it.

She took a step back to create some space, then charged forward at full steam, looking to take him down with a fierce spear and give him something else to occupy his time with.

Meanwhile, Army was making his way back up as he readied himself to face Akane again, turning her way. More than a little pissed off from the interference, he broke into a charge and went straight for her, looking to take her hard to the floor with a quick uppercut to the jaw. If they were going down the final stretch, he had every intention of coming out ahead in the end.

Drake hopped of the side of the ring, looking more than a little satisfied with himself. Neither the referee, nor Akane spotted him, which in hindsight, were the only people that mattered at the moment. The Rodriguez siblings were inconsequential for the moment, Army would likely be knocked out in a minute or so, and Carmen?

Well, the outcome was inevitable when it came to her and him. Drake found her somewhat interesting, like they were similar in some key ways, but vastly different in other areas. It was if there was a rotten cord connecting the two, insuring that if the two ever met in a room, a fight was sure to break out.
So, Drake landed on the floor uninterrupted, then spun sharply on his heel, ready to face Carmen. But the eldest Rodriguez sibling did not waste time, and was already upon him, smashing him onto the hard, concreate ground with a spear. While his thick jacket protected his back from scratches, Drakes head bounced off the concreate, causing him to spit out a quick, unintelligible curse.

Once the pair stopped rolling, Drake was left panting, winded from such an unexpected blow. He felt a little proud that he had gotten Carmen to throw two dirty shots in a row. She seemed so square in their first fight, now she was getting on his level. He might have smiled at the idea, if he was not snarling in anger. Rather than simply let Carmen do as she pleased, he would fight back, lifting up his arm and driving his elbow down onto Carmen’s head.

“Let! GO!”

--

Akane got up on her feet, looking over to see Army was still struggling to stand back up. She had a few extra moments to catch her breath as she waited for Army to get back up. The boxer seemed tired, and the brawler hoped to god he was, as she was starting to feel the effects of this fight. She let her temper get the better of her, and now her fingers hurt as she curled them into fists, a dull ache from the muscles in her hand beating slightly.

Things seemed to be getting a bit nuts outside the ring, Akane hearing a scuffle more than seeing it. She did not dare take her eyes of Army after his last stunt. Surprisingly, he took the initiative and charged the red head, even though she was on the opposite end of the ring. The rage filled charge gave Akane enough time to set up a defense, back against the ropes as she took the brunt of the uppercut with her arms. It stung like hell, but she was still in this fight. For how long remained to be seen…

“Heh, getting tired? That…didn’t hurt near as much as the others did.”

Using the ropes behind her, Akane would try and bounce off of them, giving herelf a bit of momentum as she swung a hard right for Arm’s jaw. If she or him were going down, what better way than with a straight up punch out?