LAW of the Jungle: Huntress VS. Tiger

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Match Type: LAW of the Jungle. A special themed match where the area around the ring is surrounded with plants, trees, rock formations, and other jungle features, which the contestants may use as they see fit. Win by pinfall, submission, or knockout, anywhere in the arena. No count-outs, no disqualifications!

Bengal, the Blaze Tiger

Spoiler

The LAW arena looked very different tonight, and the fans noticed as soon as they began to enter the building. Where the announcer's table would normally be, a small tree had been transplanted into the floor, secured with massive brackets covered by decorative rocks. The entrance ramp, the aisle, the entirety of the barricade separating the crowd from the ringside area; all of it had been draped with vines and tropical plants. There were bushes lining the ring apron, flowers of every color, and towering stones that resembled the crumbling walls of an overgrown temple. The overhead lights had been dimmed, making the arena appear as if it was shadowed by a vast canopy. There was even a small pool in one corner, complete with an artificial waterfall!

As a contestant in tonight's themed event, Bengal had known about these changes in advance. But as she peered out from behind the shroud of ferns that hid the backstage area, she had to admit that she was still impressed nonetheless. The company had truly gone all-out, transforming the usually drab ringside area into a jungle paradise worthy of some epic adventure novel. It seemed as if LAW management had no concern for expenses, or perhaps Bengal was simply enough of a draw to justify the money spent. That was a gratifying idea. She grinned to herself at the thought.

But if she was the draw, what about her opponent? To be honest, Bengal didn't know much about the woman she'd be facing tonight. She'd only heard that her foe was a "huntress" who specialized in taking down dangerous beasts. Well, she's never hunted anything like me, the Tiger thought to herself, as her entrance theme started to swell through the speakers. Bengal pushed the ferns aside and strode confidently out onto the entrance ramp, her striped boots scything through clouds of drifting mist.

The music, the fog machine - all of that was business as usual for the Tiger. But she noticed, with a scowl, that her trademark pyrotechnics were absent. That probably made sense for this naturalistic setting, but she still didn't like people changing her entrance without asking. She resolved to scream at her agent about it later. Right now, she had to focus on the match.

She continued down the ramp, casting her amber eyes back and forth, trying to memorize every part of the picturesque background. That knowledge would give her an advantage over her opponent, letting her plan the perfect ambush. To help with that, she'd decided to wear her orange and black outfit tonight, figuring the darker color scheme would help her blend in with the dappled shadows. She won't see me coming, Bengal thought, a devious smirk creeping across her black-painted lips. Nobody knows the jungle like a tiger!

She vaulted over the leafy apron, tossing her ebon hair over her shoulders as she ducked under the vine-wrapped ropes. Some of the fans in the front row booed the longtime heel, but many were still too confused by the bizarre scenery to respond. The announcer began to speak, explaining the reason behind tonight's sudden changes:

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's main event is a LAW of the Jungle match! Contestants may win by pinfall, submission, or knockout, anywhere within the arena. No count-outs, no disqualifications!" Several members of the crowd cheered at that news, as the announcer continued. "The area around the ring is open to both wrestlers. Use the jungle to survive! And, introducing first..." he gestured toward the corner of the ring, where the Tiger waited, stretching her arms. "From Kolkata, India...standing five feet seven inches, and weighing 140 pounds...THE BLAZE TIGER! BENGAL!"

More boos from the stands, although a few members of the crowd were excited enough by the unique stipulation to cheer instead. Either way, Bengal didn't particularly care. She was there to fight for herself, to remind everyone in LAW that she was the rightful queen of this jungle. Or anywhere else, for that matter. She narrowed her eyes, squinting through the gloom at the entrance ramp. Would her opponent emerge the same way she had, or did this special arena have other entrances she hadn't seen yet? The Tiger wasn't sure, but she knew that she didn't want to be caught off-guard. However this "huntress" chose to show up, Bengal would be ready for her.

[ZorzLeth]

It was now indeed the LAW of the Jungle tonight! It would be survival of the fittest in this scenario. By the end of this match, one question would be answered: Who would be come the hunter and who would by the hunted?

In the backstage, waiting to be called down, Sylva heard the commentators first explaining the rules of the match. It would be a standard match, but with the caveat of the match being conducted anywhere that resembled a jungle. This meant that even if they took things outside of the ring, there would be no count-outs or disqualifications. So, in truth, it could be anyone's game in this chaotic, yet extravagant looking environment.

Sylva herself was normally not one for big show-off matches like this, but considering that her gimmick was that of a huntress and her opponent was more of a "tiger", having a jungle themed wrestling match seemed inevitable.

"This would be more fitting for my sister." Sylva said to herself, knowing that her younger sister, Fang, was the Jungle Girl that would have had fun moving around in this ring.

"And now, tonight we will see if this tiger is ferocious enough to take down a formidable hunter or a pussy cat that'll be reigned in. If the Hunter takes down the mighty beast or if she'll become the hunted. Standing five feet, eleven inches and weighing 160 pounds...come forth....Huntress!"

Spoiler

As Sylva walked down the catwalk and into the "Jungle Arena", she smirked confidently, as she picked up a nearby spear. It reminded her of when she used to do javelin in school's track and field. Smirking, she looked at one of the fake animal props and saw a fake tiger, which was quite a distance away from her. She threw the spear at the tiger and it stabbed the "beast" right where its heart would be.

"Still got it." Sylva said with a smirk, as her javelin throw surprised and wowed the audience. She continued to walk down to the jungle arena and leaped onto one of the stone ruins and bump her fist in the air with a warcry that caused the audience to cheer.

Now, it was going to be a hunt!

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal's eyes widened hungrily as she watched her opponent approach the ring. The Huntress had glossy chestnut hair and a near-perfect physique - muscular yet sleek, without excess bulk to slow her down. Her leather loincloth slapped against her long, well-toned legs as she strutted down the catwalk. Yet the highlight of her entrance came when she suddenly seized a long spear and hurled it across the arena, impaling a stuffed tiger mounted near the barricade. Bengal's heart skipped a beat; the woman hadn't even appeared to look at her target before making the throw. She's got some serious skills. I have to be careful, or I'll end up stuffed and mounted too.

While Sylva rallied the crowd with a war cry, Bengal tried her best to look unimpressed, even stifling a fake yawn against the back of her gloved hand. "So, you're the mighty huntress?" she drawled casually, as her opponent turned to face her. "You might wish you'd held on to that spear, once I get my claws in you." She held up her razor-sharp nails in a threatening gesture. "Are you only tough when you've got a weapon in your hands? My weapons are with me all the time!" She flexed her long fingers for emphasis as she spoke. Meanwhile, the referee had entered the arena as well, wearing all green instead of the typical striped uniform. Their leaf-pattern shirt blended in with the background so well that it took everyone a moment to realize the official had even arrived.

Bengal waited for the opening bell, but no such sound came. To fit with the event's theme, the sound of the bell had been replaced with the echoing roar of some unseen jungle predator, blasting through the arena speakers. GRRAAaaAAAOOH! Despite her self-serious attitude, the Tiger couldn't help but smile when she heard that noise. It was an improvement over the standard LAW opening, at least in her opinion.

The official signaled for the fight to begin, then backed away into the shadows. Bengal now had a clear shot at the Huntress, but she didn't take it. Not yet, at least. After seeing how adept Sylva was with that spear, she was worried that her opponent might be planning some other surprise, perhaps with a different kind of weapon. She circled the brunette warily, trying to gauge what her next move would be.

[ZorzLeth]

Sylva, after having thrown that spear, took a chance to look at her opponent. She could definitely tell that her opponent was trying to look as intimidating as possible. Unfortunately, intimidation was something that Sylva knew in this case. She also rolled her eyes at Bengal's "taunts" and responded in her own way. First, when Bengal made the comment about the spear being the only weapon that Sylva had, Sylva yanked the spear out of the tiger, held it in front of Bengal with both hands, before snapping the thing in two.

"I think that answers your question about me being tough without a weapon," Sylva responded with a smirk, before saying next, "And those dinky little things you think are claws...I've seen kittens with sharper ones." She was clearly not bothered by Bengal's taunts and could equally dish them out.

She backed up when she noticed (albeit having to take a couple of seconds to notice because of the god damn colours that made them blend into the jungle) and waited for the referee to start the match.

Soon the bell, or in this case roar, went off, the crowd cheered as the two women got ready for a fight. She then noticed that Bengal was circling her, almost wary of what the "Huntress" might do. Sylva rolled her eyes at this. She was expecting some kind of opening move from someone that was just trash talking and acting tough to her. But now she was being cautious. Sylva had to guess that she might have left an impression on Bengal.

"If the little pussy cat doesn't want to come to me, I'll go to the kitten." Sylva said plainly, as once she was close enough to Bengal, to she immediately went for an opening move, "Let the Hunt Begin", which was a type of shove move that Sylva would employ when she got bored of someone's trash-talking.

Spoiler

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Sylva's explosive shove sent Bengal flying away, like a leaf carried by a monsoon flood. The Tiger managed to catch herself against the ropes, but strangely, she didn't move to retaliate. Instead, she ducked under the ropes and stood on the apron, a mischievous smile playing across her face. "C'mon, you seriously want to fight in this lame little ring? Boooring," she declared in a singsong voice. She gestured at the transformed arena around them. "We've got this whole beautiful jungle. It'd be a shame not to use it."

Bengal hopped down from the apron and began walking backward into the brush, her eyes never leaving Sylva's. The crowd jeered, calling her a coward, urging her to come back and fight, but the Tiger's steps didn't waver. "Come and get me, Huntress," she called, beckoning with one clawed finger as she retreated into a dense grove of bamboo. "Unless you're scared to take a walk on the wild side..."

The foliage rustled around her, and then she was gone, lost in the long shadows. The fans were beside themselves with fury; after all, a fight they couldn't see was hardly worth the money. Many of them were calling for Bengal to lose by forfeit. But like the announcer had said, competitors were encouraged to "use the jungle to survive", and her actions weren't technically against the rules. As for Sylva, she was left with a decision: should she stay in the safe, well-lit ring? Or would she risk tracking the Tiger into its lair?

[ZorzLeth]

Sylva knew what game that Bengal was up to. She knew exactly what this "Tiger" was trying to accomplish. This was a poorly conceived attempt to lure Sylva into a trap. However, she was not one to back down, especially when she dealt with ambushes before. No doubt this Tiger was going to use the "foilage" and the props to mask her movements. Well...if the tiger wanted to stalk in the jungle...the huntress would come after the little cat.

She walked up the edge of the ring and instead of just jumping in after the tiger blindly, she decided to try something smarter. She climbed onto one of the corners of the ring and scanned the area. Granted, it was more darker outside of the ring, but not so much. After all, there needed to be some light for the audience to see these two taking their fight outside of the ring.

She jumped onto a nearby pillar and checked around. She was scanning for any hints of movement in the grass. That would be a hint as to where her quarry was hiding.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal crouched low in a patch of grass, careful not to move too suddenly, in case she disturbed the delicate stalks. She followed the Huntress in near-total silence, making sure to move only when her opponent did, so that any sounds she did make would be covered up. Slowly but steadily, she crept closer to the leather-clad woman, tensing her legs as she prepared to pounce.

Just then, her plan hit an unexpected snag. Sylva had leaped up to perch atop a stone pillar, scanning the area with her bright brown eyes. Bengal knew that the Huntress' new vantage point would get her spotted immediately, if she tried to move any closer. She needed something to draw her foe's attention.

She reached a questing hand through the criss-crossing bamboo stems, and picked up a small stone that lay scattered among the plant roots. Flicking her hand like an expert darts player, she tossed the smooth, round rock away from her, toward the other side of the pillar where Sylva waited. The clattering noise it made when it landed seemed unusually loud in the quiet grove - which, of course, was ideal for Bengal's ruse.

The Tiger hoped to distract her adversary with the unknown sound, then collar Sylva from behind with a sleeper hold when she went to investigate. It was a risky gambit, however. If the Huntress had the skills to back up her name, she might be able to trace the noise of the throw back to its source, and flush Bengal out of cover.

[ZorzLeth]

And of course, the ruse didn't trick Sylva. She heard the noise and watched it for a quick second. Not seeing any other ruffles of movement from the foliage suggested that an object was just thrown there. That meant it was clearly a trick meant to lure her into a trap. Sylva was not taking the bait.

"I thought this kitty had claws!" Sylva shouted out loud, taunting Bengal, "Or you just afraid of breaking a nail?" As she scanned the area, she was uncertain as to where the object that was thrown came from. She knew that Bengal threw it, but could not tell where it could've come from.

She would scan the area again to see if Bengal would throw another object.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Sylva craned her head in the direction of the stone Bengal had thrown, but the Huntress didn't rise to the bait, nor did she move from the weathered pillar. The Tiger wrinkled her upper lip with frustration. So much for that "distraction".

The fierce-looking woman had turned in her direction now. The Tiger could tell that she'd be spotted soon; even if the Huntress didn't know her exact hiding place, she was hot on her quarry's trail. Bengal couldn't hide forever.

Suddenly, looking at the crumbling stone that her opponent was perched on, she had another idea. Bengal lunged out of cover, dodging around the long stems of bamboo and scrambling across the open ground around the pillar. She thrust out one of her lithe legs with all the strength she could muster, aiming for a spiderweb fracture at the base of the structure.

CRRRAAACK! The pillar began to crumble and topple to one side, and Bengal stepped back to avoid a falling chunk of debris. She was attempting to destroy Sylva's footing and knock the Huntress off-balance, then tackle her in midair as she fell!

[ZorzLeth]

Sylva noticed the movement that shuffled through the grass. However, it was too late for her to react or counter what Bengal was going for. As the pillar, that was crumbling apart by Bengal's moves, fell down, Sylva attempted to jump to the side, but lost her footing. She would be coming crashing on down, along with the remaining debris of the pillar.

This would leave her in a precarious state, depending on what Bengal had planned for her.