By Leaps and Bounds - Tori Martin(D) VS Ellie St. James

After their back and forth escapade of submissions and reversals, after all that grappling, after all those threats, taunts and teases had been exchanged, all it took took to best the Brit was one kick. An unsuspectingly fast and powerful one, but a simple kick nonetheless. Tori couldn't help but raise her eyebrow in surprise as the lavender-haired beauty lay crumpled at her feet, all resistance seemingly sapped out of her as soon as her boot made contact with head. There's no underestimating how effective a simple strike could be when you had the element of surprise on your side. Any attack could increase ten fold in potency if delivered unexpectedly. A lesson gained on both their ends, even if poor Ellie had to learn it the hard way.

But now wasn't the time to sympathize for the dazed girl's plight. Now was the time to act on the enormous opportunity that had just presented itself to her. Their little dance had brought them closer to the ropes, and her less then graceful fall and bounce had left her only a feet from the edge of the ring. Tori placed one foot on the side of the girl's torso, rolling her over until she was face up and her distance to the edge of the ring reduced to mere inches. She got a good look at her eyes, glossy and completely dazed, her head working overtime to bring her back into focus. Tori wouldn't give her the chance.

"Try and slip out of this one hon" she muttered under her breath, barely intelligible to the dazed girl even if she had been fully aware. She placed both her hands on the top ropes pushing them down slightly as she tested it's elasticity. Satisfied, she began working on Ellie. Tori reeled her leg far up behind her, still holding onto the top rope with both hands for balance as she delivered a brutal punt kick to Ellie's midsection. She felt the flattened prong of her boot's heel sinking into the poor girl's underbelly, delivering more force than was required to send the young lightweight tumbling beneath the bottom ropes and out of the ring. She grimaced slightly as she delivered the kick. She didn't revel in the fact that she was attacking a downed opponent in such a brutal fashion, but it was necessary if Tori wanted to ensure that Ellie would be properly incapacitated for the remainder of her attack.

Layer onto layer, it just seemed to be poor luck followed Ellie these days. She had a great deal to prove after her last match and here she lay, face down on the canvas before AFW's newest prospect. It was far from a good look for her career, though some might argue it wasn't a terrible look for her in general given the level of debauchery to be found within the league. She wore defeat better than she had any right to, not that she would have liked to know that.

Tori's boot sole dug into her side, a far softer body when the muscle hidden beneath wasn't so tense in competition. With little more than a gentle exhale she was rolled over onto her back. She lay disheveled on the mat, head lulled to the side with her lavender hair wily mussed from the kick upside her head. Her jacket lay folded open, one side hiked high while the other sleeve had partially slipped her shoulder in the tumbled fall. There were no real signs of recognition to the transition, giving Tori ample time to move at her own pace.

"Hrk!" If one wanted any proof the Brit was still among the living, the boot heel that drilled into her abdomen that left her wide-eyed was more than enough evidence. The unprotected blow had been a devastating one, carrying Ellie under the ropes to topple out of the ring in a clatter. She hit the floor nearly just as hard on a shoulder, left to curl up at her side to choke and gasp at the thought of breath that had once filled her lungs. She had made a brazen attempt to rise to her knees, far too fast, far too soon, and found herself collapsing back down to the scarcely matted flooring outside the ring.

Tori shot a glance towards the ref as soon as Ellie had been dislodged from the ring. Her arm was already raised high in the air as she signaled the beginning of the countout. If Tori acted quick enough, she'd have more than enough time to put into action what she had in plan for the young rookie. She began climbing the ropes and making her way to the top of the turnbuckle in a hasty ascent. A quick fist was raised in triumph as she surveyed the enthusiastic crowd, twisting her body around so the entirety of the arena could see her excitement for what she was about to pull off.

She bathed in their cheers for perhaps a little too long, but there was no so such that as too much fanfare in Tori's mind. She eventually returned her attention back to Ellie, perching herself in a crouched position on the turnbuckle so that she was now in line with the girl's struggling form. Tori twitched in hesitation, worried that the lavender-haired fighter was going to make it up to her feet. All it took was her buckling knees and exasperated collapse to signal to Tori that that her opponent was in no condition to retaliate. With any luck, she'd stay that way for the rest of the match.

This was the moment she had been waiting for, the moment where the Flaming Flamingo could finally take fiery flight.

With both feet placed on the top ropes on either side of the turnbuckle, knees bent and fully winded up, and eyes closed in preparation for pure aerial bliss, The red-head finally sprung into action. She launched upwards into the air, utilizing the spring from the tope ropes to propel her to impressive heights. Her body instinctively set into rotational motion as soon as she took flight. Tori's hips raised upward as as she inverted her body, her back tucked tightly into a rounded position as she initiated a mid-air roll. Her knees were tucked tight into her midsection, arms wrapped around her legs to ensure she wouldn't unfurl too quickly. Here eyes were still closed as she felt the air whirl around, her senses alerting her that she had completed her somersault and was now due for impact any second now.

Tori's eyes fluttered back open as she extended her legs outwards to control her decent. Her feet were pointed straight out in front of her, the prongs of her boots bound for Ellie's lower back. The roar of the crowd intensified around her as the finale of her signature Flaming Gutbuster seemed destined to collide in a painful conclusion.

While Ellie's mind swam in haze, the pronounced punctuation that was pain was a clear enough sign to understand. Arms wound tight around her midsection, a throbbing ache that caused nausea to churn in her guts leaving her to let out a dry heave or two between coughing gasps. Her sorry state wasn't even something that registered in her clouded thoughts, no, it was only how to best position herself to nurse her aches. It settled her on the ground, left her open for what the swelling noise from the crowd might have otherwise warned her of had Tori not nearly taken her head off with that kick. Ill fit to defend herself, she was an easy mark for the rowdy redhead's preparations.

While Ellie was seeing her fair share of stars, the one she needed to worry about most hadn't caught her eye. Tori splot the sky in two as she came down like a meteorite, crash landing across Ellie's back with a thunderous impact that found the lavender-haired wrestler's limbs popping free from where they clutched to flail out in the direction of least resistance. A scream squeezed out from her oxygen-starved body, high pitched and horrible, not unlike the wails of a wild animal that had been mortally wounded and left to bleed out in the snow.

She rolled over onto her side, back arching as she writhed again. One palm reached back to apply pressure to the searing brand of boot heels that felt like it was melted into her flesh while the other, outstretched, twitched at the fingers as it lay across the ground. The audience looked on with amazement, some quiet some in wild cheers for the high-flying feat. The referee, who had seen much in their time in AFW, continued their count with stoicism, though a wince tugged at the corner of their eyes and a stiffness took their jaw.

As spectacular as Tori's flight had been, her pointed choice of footwear combined with the malleable target that was her opponent's body had made for a rather unpleasant landing for them both. Her boots had found their mark, sinking deep into the girl's side before eventually giving up beneath the soft surface. Ellie's body reactively bounced back upwards, sending Tori tumbling after impact as if she had landed haphazardly on a trampoline. She tried to break her fall with an adept roll, but instead found herself crashing butt-first onto the concrete floor.

It was nothing compared to the searing agony her opponent was going through, eliciting nothing more than an uncomfortable wince from the red-head, but she still reach back to rub her sore tailbone which has absorbed the brunt of the blow. Tori outstretched her fist in defiant victory anyhow, the crowd's deafening roars proving to her that her awkward landing had done little to diminish what was otherwise an awesome display. She quickly picked herself up and approached her writhing opponent. She placed her boot on top of where Ellie's hand laid clutching the impact point on her side, rolling the girl over with a rough push until she was fully on her backside. She placed her foot high above Ellie's head for both her and the audience to witness, her soft hair splayed out on the concrete floor as if forming a lavender halo around her young pained face.

With a conflicted sigh, she gently lowered her boot down beside Ellie's ear, deciding against the unceremonious stomp. The ref's count continued in an even louder and more urgent voice, signaling the halfway point had now been reached. She gently bent down and placed both of her hands underneath Ellie's head, hiding her sympathetic gaze from the cameras behind thick red hair as it accompanied her decent. With an assertive and tugging grip on Ellie's scalp, she dragged the girl up onto her feet, feeling the added weight of her legs nearly giving out beneath her. With another hesitant sigh, Tori relinquished control of the girl's hair, instead draping one of the rookie's arm over her shoulders. "Now we're even" Tori cooed into her ear, hinting towards their standoff at elbow-point earlier as she half carried, half dragged her back towards the ring.

She dropped Ellie's upper body onto the ring apron and pushed both hands against her side to lift her until she was laid out on the ring edge beneath the ropes. Tori backed up a step before leaning in to deliver a rough shove at Ellie's side, hoping to roll her over so that she was deeper into the ring. She used the last few seconds of the count to salute to the crowd, thanking them for their cheers and hinting that she was far from over. She vaulted onto the ring edge, still on the outskirts of the ropes but in a suitable position to stop the count. She scooted over to the nearest turnbuckle once more before making a deliberately slow and gradual climb. She eyed Ellie as she made her ascent, watching for any signs of the girl's recovery. She dismissed any creeping thoughts of sympathy as she approached the top of the turnbuckle. She had afforded Ellie all she could in term of compassion and sportsmanship. The rest was up to her, especially as Tori planned for no further clemency in preparation for her next lethal jump.

A firm shove of Tori's boot against her was enough to unfurl Ellie like a rolled up yoga mat leaving her sprawled out. Her eye twitched, managing the pain with shuddered breaths as she stared up at the redhead whose boot heel loomed like a guillotine over her head. There was defiance in her yet as she let out a ragged huff, steeling herself to have her face crushed. When it finally came down, she flinched, half turning her head to watch the heeled boot come down right beside her. Mercy or mind games? Right now it didn't matter.

Ellie let slip a small grunt as Tori took her by the head, her own boot scuffing on the ringside mats as she kicked to try to get them under her to rise without having her neck or hair pulled. It was the redhead who did most of the work as the wheezing Brit struggled at even from keeping her knees to buckle under her weight. It left her open for more, worrying still as one of her arms was slung back around her opponent's shoulders.

A shiver ran down Ellie's spine as she felt Tori's breath tickle her cheek, her soft crooning voice teasing at debts being repaid. So it had been mercy after all. She couldn't help but let out a light breathless chuckle. Her mind was split down the middle with equal parts thankfulness and embarrassment that colored he cheeks a slight hint of red as she was hauled to the apron. "I appreciate that…"

She transitioned into a hard lean, arms crossing over the lip of the ring as she was pushed up against it. She held herself up, head hung low while she took a moment to breathe while Tori labored on. She could feel a small gnawing in the back of her mind, an almost animalistic want to wheel about and strike Tori while she was busy. It could have made for an easy win with the DQ count… a dirty win. She shook the thought from her rattled mind. That wasn't who she was in the worst of situations, she wasn't about betray this gift Tori had given her. Kicking a leg up she helped herself up onto the apron, content to lay there until a hard shove sent her rolling beneath the bottom rope with a squeal of pain.

She came to a stop on her back once again, starting to see a tread tonight for this match. With a snort she laid her head back, tilting just enough to follow the redhead's movements out of the corner of her eye. For now, she seemed content to stay down and recover, especially as her opponent didn't seem in a hurry to try to drag her up again. She had already been given a good reason why and the sight of the other woman going journeyed the corner again didn't bode well. Trying to scramble up now would just find her even less prepared for what came next, so she waited. All she could do now was pray that if she saw an opening, her aching body would be able to respond in time.

Perched on top of the corner, Tori stared down at her meek opponent who was making no obvious signs that she was preparing herself for what was to come. She drooped her head to hide an exasperated sigh; that only meant it was was going to hurt even more for the dumb Brit. There was always the risk the girl was playing possum, but after the damage she had done to her only moments ago, she doubted that even her merciful moment of respite was enough to make a full recovery. Ellie's motionless, wheezing, splayed out body was all the confirmation she needed to continue the offensive. She started by first raising herself up to her feet, balancing precariously until she was firmly situated upright on the turnbuckle.

She raised her arms in unison with the crowd's increasing chants, egging her on to perform yet another spectacular aerial feat, and with her sympathies now faded and long gone, there was nothing to stop her from obliging. The pinkette began her routine once more, body still, breathing stabilized, a mental picture of the technique she was about to pull of playing frame by frame behind closed eyelids. With a deep breath, Tori leaped into the air once again. She twirled herself around as soon as her feet left the ropes, stretching out into a horizontal position before bringing both her legs and hands tucked into her chest.

She extended her legs and arms back into the horizontal position halfway through the jump, the full effect of her 180 degree frogsplash in view of the camera's racing to keep up with her rapid descent. Tori felt her attire flutter behind hide, splayed out against the air like feathers on the wings of bird as they guided her flight. Her eyes were still closed while her body's senses did all the work to asses her orientation, and if her tried and tested aerial instincts still rung true, then only mere seconds separated Ellie from experiencing the pain of Tori's outstretching and rocketing body crashing into her own.

It had boiled itself down to calculated risk. Lacking the deep dive she often delved into when facing opponents, Ellie had limited information to break down her opponent. What she had seen and regretfully felt of Tori and her in-ring work painted a pretty broad but helpful picture. There was glitz and flair there with the attire and the high flying moves, but it came at a risk. The redhead didn't come across as a brazen thrill seeker though, not entirely. There was a calculating nature in there, one that saw the woman picking her opportunities wisely. She had missed that before and almost had her head taken off by a vicious kick before the match even started. While it had been downhill from there as far as her own offensive went, it wasn't without a silver lining to be exploited.

She could feel the heavy thumping of her heart pounding in her chest. A rush of adrenaline and worry as she lay in wait for the right moment that might not come. It was hard to lay idle as Tori climbed, especially knowing full well that one move off the top rope would put an end to her chances of launching any comeback… in fact, she would likely be done for now that they were in the ring and a pinfall was all that was needed following a big move. The seconds crawled and her body itched to move, but she remained still.

Her subtle observing from the corners of her eyes shifted to lock in on the redhead as she left the ropes. Hardened gaze filled with determination as her body tenses and muscles strained. Her legs felt too heavy in the brief time she had laid back, not getting them to raise filled almost herculean. She hissed through grit teeth as her knees came up towards her chest, shins making a hard unforgiving landing site for Tori's midsection. Ellie let out one shuddered breath and braced for impact, trying to hold firm enough that there would be no give to the other woman's weight crashing down across her legs.

Tori had come to crave that wave of bliss that always occupied her state of mind while in the air. The one that oriented her in the right direction, sharped her senses, and numbed the pain of landing. Nothing else in her repertoire of moves came quite as naturally to her, or shared the same sense of fluidity as when she was in the air. These moments were brief, yes, but they almost always ended in the euphoric thrill of a targeted landing.

Almost always...

Her eyes shot open as pain spiked through her body and penetrated into lungs. Instead of finding herself landing on the soft and targeted abdomen of her opponent, she found her chest crushed inwards by the elevated shins shielding Ellie from what was supposed to be a decisive blow. For a single moment in time, she lay there spiked against her opponent's knees, eyes locked onto Ellie's in disbelief. It was a moment so brief, it was hard to know for sure if the feeling of realization was mutual, but it was quickly interrupted by her body rebounding off the rough surface and crashing onto the mat below.

Once bountiful reservoir's of oxygen had been driven out instantly, unable to be replaced efficiently as all attempts at breathing quickly devolved into spastic gasping. Her hands lay clutched at her sides, her body curled into a fetal position as she desperately tried to regain some air back into her lungs to no avail. A litany of curses and expletives raced through her mind, begging to be released into the open for her stubborn opponent to fall prey too, but none of them would come to fruition. Anger was soon replaced with regret as she realized her sportsmanlike intentions had only yielded exceptionally painful results for herself.

No good deed goes unpunished, and Tori was learning that the hard way.

"Ngh!" The jolt, while expected, was even still alarming as Tori came crashing down across her raised shins. Her muscles burned as they were suddenly strained, folding up against her own body with enough force to wind her had she not prepared for it. For the brief period their eyes locked, the look of surprise was mirrored in both women's faces, frozen in time for just that moment. When everything resumed, Tori was flung off to the side while Ellie's legs unfurled to flop limply across the mat like a neglected slinky that had been left compressed for far too long. Side by side they lay, the lavender-haired girl turning her head to glance towards her opponent with heavy pants. An opening, but not something she could capitalize on well, not while she was still down and out herself.

A long labored groan let her lips while Ellie leaned her weight to the side, rolling her body up past the hurdle of her own shoulder to move closer to the redhead. With a light slap, she fell over onto her front, reminded again just how battered she was after the trip to the outside. Her abdomen tensed as it was pressed to the mat, making it hard to move let alone breathe. She persisted though, gathering herself up onto her forearms to drag her body to Tori like a soldier crawling under gunfire.

With an outstretched hand, she clasped Tori's shoulder but it slipped away when she tugged, making her try for a second time before managing to get a good grip. Straining with a grunt she pulled, trying to roll the other woman over onto her back. Ellie would push off the mat, giving herself a small floundering flop closer to try and drape an arm across the redhead's body for a tired pinfall attempt.