Yayuuki "Lucky" Sakura vs Vespa: Stepping on a Wasp's Nest!

Vespa snickered slightly through clenched teeth as the Lucky Invader fell to the floor. Her heavy breathing making the golden patterns on her chest shimmer and dance in the spotlight. She was not laughing at the Invader, but the pain that was throbbing in her back. Each dull beat of pain gave Vespa a chuckle, as in her mind, every blow delivered unto her was one she took protecting the Hive, something that gave her endless joy.

That was not to say she was invincible, Vespa’s eye stayed shut as she worked through the pain, determined to stay standing as tall and proud as she could while looking down on her fallen foe. The soldier would once again let Lucky stand, observing that she seemed to be a bit shaky on her feet. Though she looked fairly shaken and tired, she still had enough energy to give out compliments,

“And…it would insult my Queen…to say you have not been a worthy opponent!” Vespa would say in between breathes, “She was right to send me…I look forward…. To besting you.”

Vespa began to lean forward a bit, one of her arms coming around in a defensive position, like a knight and her shield,

“Remember what I said before, Invader?”

Vespa’s muscles coiled, then released as she sprung at the recovering Invader that stood before her.

“Your flattery will only get you so far!”

Her other, non-defensive arm was pulled back far, ready to deliver a powerful haymaker that, if it hit, would surly send her opponent for a painful loop.

"It ain't flattery if it's true!" Lucky yelled back, raising her arms up to deflect that punch! Sadly, she wasn't that much of a puncher and didn't quite know how to formulate a decent guard against it... The fist slammed into the arms she put up instead of actually glancing off of them, all that force instead traveling through her limbs and into her face anyway! She guessed that's why it was always better to out-manuver an opponent instead of take their hits!

"MMMFPH!" She grunted as Vespa punched through her attempt at defense and into her cheek, her punch lessened somewhat but it still hurt like... like a punch! The cheerleader stood her ground, though, much to her own surprise. She had dug herself in to take that hit and even though she botched it, her body did not move from that spot! Lashing out with her own hand, Lucky attempted to wrap her arm around Vespa's neck, pulling her in for a rising knee to her stomach, attempting to make the most out of their close combat if there was going to be any of it at all! If she succeeded, she would quickly shift her grip, pulling the warrior bee's neck under her arm as she doubled over, PLANTING her head into the mat in a DDT, dropping them both back to the ground!

"...A-and it would be an insult if I didn't say the same!... So... Uh... I will!" The cheerleader would retort again! If this string of actions came to pass, Lucky would drop on top of the fallen hive-themed wrestler, pulling her leg up in a pin as the Ref threw herself down beside them both, beginning to count!

Vespa’s hard haymaker impacted Lucky’s defense hard, to the point were the wall her arms made to protect her face crumpled away and simply smashed into her face along with the blow. An yet another impressive display of strength and will, the Invader maintained her balance and continued to stand, unmoving against the Wasp’s forceful blows.

It surprised the soldier, giving her opponent enough of an opening to slink of her arms around her neck like a spider’s thread enveloping it’s prey. The Invader pulled Vespa in hard and shot a knee aimed towards the Wasp’s stomach. Using the arm she had set up in a defensive position, the knee struck her forearm instead, causing pain to explode into her arm. It hurt, but Vespa smiled anyway, thwarting the Invaders plan.

“Nice try, Invader! However, something so-“

Before Vespa could even finish, Lucky switched holds, bringing Vespa crashing down onto the world below face first in a painful DDT.

Vespa had been struck many times in the head before. Unbeknownst to her, it is precisely how she became Vespa. Violent head trauma had messed with a few circuits in her brain, not to the point of any true damage, but she did have memory issues, specifically her childhood. Though she would never tell anyone about it, she would sometimes get small flashes of memories that she did not believe were her own. They had nothing of the Hive in them, no fellow workers or soldiers, just….people.

The blow from Lucky was a hard one, Vespa groaning as the invader rolled her over for a pin. A small scowl formed on the Wasp’s face, cursing herself for not seeing the bigger picture to Lucky’s plan.

“1”

Vespa went to move her shoulder


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It was a warm summer day. The sun was out, and the wind blew a crisp wave of fresh air, the tall grass dancing around her, moving rhythmically with each passing gust. The young little girl wore a sun dress, one as yellow as the sun as she played atop the hill with a man and a woman. She was chasing the man, both of them laughing as he pretended to be slower than he was, letting the little one catch him in a sweet embrace.

“Honey!” The woman called out, “The food is almost ready, get Sofia and bring her here so we can eat.”

The girl and the man continued to scuffle a few minutes more, the girl determined not to let the man escape her loving hug until she was finally scooped up into his arms, the pair walking over to the woman who sat with a freshly prepared picnic with a loving smile and caring eyes.
Just as the girl reached for one of the home-made sandwiches, she felt something crawling up her leg. Like a dozen miniature fingers were constantly tapping and clawing across her skin. She looked down, wondering what was causing such a sensation…

It was a lone Wasp…
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For a moment Vespa laid there, engrossed in a memory she never had, looking at a place she had never been, with people she did not know.

Then why did the man and woman make her FEEL so much? She had never met them, yet their images triggered something primal inside of Vespa. A longing desire, a deep seeded love, painful grief as they were torn away from her sight. Why? She had only ever had these feelings for her Queen, but now….these two people, this man and woman whom she had never even seen before, she knew somehow, that these two loved her and cared for her.

“2”

A single tear streamed down Vespa’s face as she- rather violently- tore her shoulder from the mat, breaking the pin and rolling over to her side. If she was lucky, she would roll a few feet away, wiping away the stray droplet on her face as she began to stand back up, though she would still be unsteady from the head trauma.

Lucky found herself watching Vespa as her face as she pinned her, perplexed by the tears rolling down her eyes. She didn't hit her THAT hard, did she? The warrior-bee didn't look like the kinda girl who would take a DDT then start bawling right there on the canvas so... Did something else happen? Was her pride wounded? She wasn't even putting up a fight to break out of this pin... not that she didn't mind or anything. She would take the win if whatever was distracting her got her through the 3-count but still... Was kinda weird.

Such an easy win was not meant to be as Vespa RIPPED out of Lucky's pin so hard, it actually sent her rolling back as she yelled out in surprise! The cheerleader rolled back, end over end before deftly hopping back up to her feet and slipping back into her wrestling stance, using AAAAAAALL that cheer-training to get right back to her strongest position before Vespa could extract her vengeance!.... She really was crying, wasn't she...? Lucky couldn't help but feel concern that she had done something that really hit somewhere painful for her opponent... like... in the soul or something. She didn't know HOW she managed to strike so insidiously but it disturbed her that she actually made someone CRY!

"Hey... Are you alright...?" Lucky asked, her expression full of concern. She wanted to say more, to offer something to her as some kind of peace-treaty but she didn't know what else to express... Vespa was a weird one, something she wasn't ashamed to admit. She took pride in her persona as a hive-themed wrestler with her outfit, teeth and mannerisms... She had SWORDS curved like Bee-stingers and made constant references to her "Queen." She couldn't tell sometimes if this was the girl or the soldier she was fighting here so she didn't want to risk enraging either with further probing... Maybe after she won this match, she would give Vespa a big ol' hug... help her free of whatever was bothering her.

“Hmm…..?”

Vespa’s pale cheeks were red from the emotional reaction she had with the memory. She played it back once, twice, three times in her head. Each time she did, new questions popped in her head. It got to the point were Vespa was staring off in the crowd for a brief moment, her head still foggy not only from the sudden emotional punch she received, but from the DDT as well.

It wasn’t until she heard someone ask something. Were they talking to her? Slowly, she turned to look at the person in question…

She didn’t recognize the cheerleader standing across from her. Not for a good long moment. For a moment, Vespa was not Vespa, simply a woman in a strange outfit. The most she could make out was that she was in a ring of sorts, and that the cheerleader must have been her opponent. The woman got nervous, not sure how she got in this situation, or how to get out of it. She looked left, then right, then back at the cheerleader.

Finally, something seemed to click.

The slightly concerned and confused look on the woman’s face disappeared quickly, as something like a spark of recognition flashed in her eyes. The nervous posture straightened, the trembling lip ripped apart to reveal horridly sharp teeth, and the soft features in her face hardened into something much fiercer.

“Invader…” Vespa almost growled, “Such a minor strike could never keep one of the Royalties finest down for long. You will…have to try much harder than that.”

Though the soldier was still a bit shaken, she began to run forward, one hand reeled back until she was close enough to launch it full force at the cheerleader’s throat. Vespa preferred rush attacks, and one of her preferred attacks was the chokeslam, something she was attempting now.

Vespa did indeed still have the memory bouncing around, but she decided to push it back, and focus entirely on the fight at hand.

Sakura blinked in surprise yet again as Vespa's sorrowful, confused expression disappeared the moment it was brought up revealing her warrior persona once again! She didn't even have time to come up with some sort of counter to the wasp's declaration... not that she could anyway as the woman's hand shot up towards her throat, shutting off her air-supply with vicious, almost inhuman strength!

"GAK!" She choked before being SLAMMED down into the ring floor without mercy! She cried out in pain, stunned by the great strength Vespa could display when she wanted too! Suddenly, Lucky didn't feel too overly special being able to lock bear-hugs with her opponent earlier... Kinda made her think how many levels of strength the other woman had hiding! Gasping in protest to the clamp around her neck, the cheerleader's legs would suddenly shoot up to wrap around the bee's arm and neck and drag her to the floor with all the strength in her lower body! If she managed to do so, her hands would shoot up to Vespa's wrist, yanking it DOWN in a counter arm-bar to the choke-slam that sent her reeling! If she managed to get her opponent locked down, the cheerleader would begin cranking that arm back a little at a time, trying to wring the fight right out of her rival!

"H-h-how's THIS for better!?" She proclaimed, giving Vespa's arm a nice YANK for emphasis! Back into battle mode, Sakura was... No more distractions or anything of that nature. If she was given an opening it was gonna be exploited. She was here to win this match after all and all the personal stuff they could talk about afterwords. The hive did need a good show, right? The two of them would lay sprawled out not too far from where the nearest wall of ropes hung and Lucky was aware of this... With the warrior-Wasp in her grip, Lucky would slowly attempt to inch them both away back to the center of the ring, to inhibit any potential rope-breaks.

“Heh hehehehHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

The grin on Vespa’s face was so large it threatened to split her mouth from her face. Any hint of the girl she was before was completely erased, only a soldier remained, one looking to please her Royalty. Her cruel cackling increased as her grip tightened around her opponent’s throat, stooping low so that their eyes would meet.

“You fought well, Invader. Know that you have put up more of a challenge then I thought you would!” The Wasp’s tongue slid across her teeth hungrily, “May the Queen find you worthy of sparing.”

Almost as soon as Vespa finished, Lucky’s legs would wrap around her arm and neck, twisting her lower body in a way that dragged her down to the ground. Before she could retract her arm to pry herself from the Invaders legs, Lucky grabbed onto her wrist, wrenching it back painfully, causing the soldier to howl in pain.

Vespa tried to thrash about, but it was useless. Like the thread of a spider, the invaders limbs were strong as steel, and despite Vespa’s strength, it was near impossible to pry herself free with only one arm. She was stuck, caught in the web made by her own overconfidence. The only chance of freedom was the ropes, laying just out of reach. With a pained grunt, Vespa reached for the ropes-

-and was pulled back in return. The Invader was not so stupid as to let her prey escape her hold. Farther and farther, Vespa was dragged away from her salvation. Her arm continuously twisted further back, the soldier trying her best to stifle her own screams as to not dishonor her Queen. Slowly the pain would begin to get to Vespa, gritting her teeth and attempting to free herself to no avail.

The pain…Must serve…the Hive…Hurts so much…Queen’s mercy…should stop…?

“NO!”

She would not fail her Queen! Not so long as she was breathing!

“…heh…heheh…heheheheheh~”

Vespa began to chuckle to herself. She knew what she had to do, and it would be extremely painful. If it was in service of the Queen, she would pay any price. It was time to earn her title as the Queens most loyal soldier.

“for… the…ROYALTY!”

Using her free arm and her legs, she started to claw at the ring, dragging herself and the Invader in an attempt to get closer to the ropes. The added pressure to her arm was immense, especially in the shoulder. Any moment, it felt as if the joint would pop out of its socket. Still, Vespa smiled, biting her lip to help her focus on her goal. The sharp teeth punctured the soft lip, causing a stream of blood to ooze down her chin. Determination was burning in the Wasp’s eyes, looking to reach out and grab the ropes that seemed so close, yet so far away.

Lucky grunted softly with each nudge back to the center of the ring, finding it extremely difficult to haul a struggling warrior-wasp while she had one of her arms locked up! Go figure! She was a tough woman, the cheerleader was, going through various physical sports from swimming, to lifting, to the actual game-sports but that didn't make moving a struggling person any easier... especially when she was stronger than you were! She had hopped keeping her arm locked away would mitigate Vespa's resistance... you know... keep her still and stuff! Struggling would only make it more painful and yet... here she was, pulling against her! Lucky could've pulled back harder... She could've threatened to break poor Vespa's arm from this position but... Sakura just didn't have it in her. Ignoring disqualifications, she would've felt HORRIBLE even doing that so somebody regardless of circumstance... She felt kinda guilty for even thinking that was an option... So guilty, in fact, she had left herself kinda distracted again...

In her lapse in concentration, Vespa capitalized by clawing her way over to the nearest set of ropes and grabbing one!

"ROPE BREAK!"

Lucky blinked, glancing down at the wasp, wondering how they had gotten from the middle of the ring ALL they way to the edge of it already... Quickly releasing her hold, Sakura was kinda relieved to have let go. She didn't like hurting people... Kinda why she didn't use submissions so much despite being really good at them! It almost kinda hurt just looking at Vespa... Well... it was part of the sport, after all...

Lucky would reach down to scoop up Vespa, pulling her to her feet...

"YAAAH!" She cried as she attempted to send her sprinting towards the ropes, setting herself up for a drop-kick once they inevitably bounced her back!.... Assuming everything went according to plan...

Miraculously, Vespa had made it to the ropes. Her burst of fanatical adrenaline had helped her crawl all the way from the near center of the ring to the outer ring. It was in no way easy to drag someone along the way she did, and though Lucky seemed distracted, the hold she inflicted was no less effective. Vespa would not get out of her armbar without suffering.

As soon as the cheerleader let go, Vespa went and cradled her arm. It was incredibly sore and stiff, the muscles inside extended well beyond their limit were screaming in protest to even the slightest movement. Pain continuously stabbed at her, like a dozen doctors were jabbing at her arm with needles.  

“Can’t…use…chokes……anymore” Vespa panted. She looked up at Lucky and gave her a quick, pained smile. “Smart…move…Royalty…would be proud…”

With that, Lucky would scoop up the Wasp solider, helping her to her feet. Despite how kind the girl was, Vespa doubted it was for that reason, and had no intention of letting her do what she wanted.

Before she was all the way up, Vespa would try to spring upward, giving an admittedly weak headbutt aimed at the cheerleader’s chin. A wasp would fight a larger predator tooth and stinger, and Vespa had no intention of going down any different.

"Chokes...?" Lucky asked, tilting her head in confusion as she started to pull Vespa up to her feet. "I think you mean 'submission' ser knight! It's easy to get them mixed up though- AAAAK!"

Her submission didn't take enough out of the Bee it would seem! As Lucky went to pull her to her feet and get her ready for throwing, the soldier's forehead shot up, SLAMMING into the the cheerleader's chin from below with all the force of more than successful counter attack! This was where the benefits of skill over luck started to rear their heads as anyone with a lick of the former wouldn't have let her eyes go off her opponent and let this happen! Lucky relied so much on her namesake to get her far that when it hit an inconsistent patch, she was left WIDE open!

The knock to her chin completely threw Lucky off... like... through a loop as if she had been straight-up punched, the poor girl thrown to the ground fast as her world tilted slightly to one side. Her concentration? Completely shattered. She was having trouble even processing why her jaw was aching right now!

"Ugh..." She groaned softly, rubbing her wounded chin with both hands as she attempted to blink the vertigo out of her eyes! "That hurt... Low blow, Vespa... low blow..." She did take a small amount of pride in her declaration that the queen would've been proud of her though... For somebody that held this mysterious "Queen" in high esteem to tell her that their model would approve, that meant something and it should to anybody out there. That was a BIG compliment and one that Lucky would cherish right up until she won!

...But that didn't stop her chin from hurting... or her head from spinning.