With Friends Like These: Ashley Morgan & Bengal VS. Naomi Van Makros (2v1 Handicap Match)

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Match Type: 2v1 Handicap Match

Bengal, the Blaze Tiger

Spoiler

When Bengal's manager offered her a spot on a team for a handicap match, she snapped it up right away. After all, the Tiger always hated a fair fight, and what was more unfair than fighting 2v1? She was so excited at the prospect that she accepted immediately, before even asking who her teammate would be. That turned out to be a mistake.

As the name, "Ashley Morgan" left the other woman's mouth, Bengal felt like a giant ice cube had just dropped into her stomach. It was strange enough to be paired with someone who had beaten her in a previous match. But even stranger, it had only been a few days since the Tiger had stalked and ambushed Ashley at the Aman Spa, locking the Englishwoman in an overheated sauna as vengeance for her loss. The Red Menace was a bad-tempered woman at the best of times; Bengal couldn't begin to imagine how angry she was now. Was this all some prank by LAW management, to get her back into her rival's striking range? Her attack on Ashley had been completely unsanctioned, though. The higher-ups couldn't know about that...could they?

It wasn't the first time in her LAW career that Bengal had wondered if she was being watched. She considered asking her manager about it, but thought better of it. She didn't want to reveal what she'd done at the spa, and get herself into more trouble. Besides, Ashley couldn't do anything to her in a setting like this. They were on the same team, and any damage that the Englishwoman inflicted on her would just make it harder for her side to win. Even a meathead like Red wasn't that stupid, she reassured herself.

Later that week, Bengal waited backstage at the LAW arena, ready to enter as soon as her entrance music began. When the opening riff of Meshuggah's "Combustion" reached her ears, she looked around, wondering if she and her teammate were scheduled to enter together. But there was no sign of the Red Menace, and the only song playing was her own. That was a relief, honestly. Bengal wasn't sure if Ashley would be able to restrain herself for the duration of an entire entrance. Better to meet up with her in the ring, once the referee was safely between them.

Bengal continued down the ramp, as the announcer's voice echoed through the rafters. "Ladies and gentlemen, the following contest is a Two-Versus-One Handicap Match! Introducing first...from Kolkata, India...standing five feet seven inches, and weighing 140 pounds...THE BLAZE TIGER! BENGAL!"

The Tiger entered the ring and took to her corner, blue eyes fixed warily on the top of the ramp. She didn't know who would enter next, her teammate or her opponent - and she wasn't sure which one she should be more afraid of.

[Afterhoursclub]

For Ashley, the prospect of being in a handicap match seemed only natural, she was a powerhouse, a force to be reckoned with, a menace for anyone unfortunate enough to be standing in her path. Pairing other two fighters against her seemed like the only way to even things out. The redhead acepted the offer right away.

However, things were not exactly as Ashley imagined:

"The hell you mean I'm on the team side?!!" The Brit was fuming "is this a joke?!" Ashley felt utterly disrespected, she was ready to start tearing the place down, up until the moment she heard the name of her teammate: Bengal.

"Oh? Is that so?" suddenly, the furious redhead calmed down. Leaving even the LAW staff confused. Her angry gaze replaced by a malicious grin. "Sure, sure, let's go with that!" The bookers got no more objections from the Brit.

Finally, the night of the match arrived.

The arena lights dimmed, the speakers exploded with the hard sound of Enemies, by Eleine.

https://youtu.be/kXUKNXvbBaQ?si=_HiF7QZPoycw4tNq

And right out of the curtains, Ashley stormed into view, wearing her usual scowl and strutting menacingly towards the ring. She didn't waste a single second looking at the crowd as she made her way down the ramp, for her focus was dead on her partner, who was already waiting inside the squared circle.

Entering the ring next, from Cambridge, England - Weighing 175 pounds. She is The Red Menace, Ashley Morgan!

Ashley Morgan

The redhead grabbed onto the ropes and jumped over the apron, the whole ring shook as soon as her boots made contact with the mat. She ducked between the top and second ropes. And... there she was, once again facing The Tiger inside of a ring. The memory of their little encounter at the Spa was still very fresh on Ashley's mind. She didn't say a single word, while looking daggers at Bengal. The Brit walked up to her until they were mere inches from each other. Tension quickly building up. Suddenly, Ashley broke eye contact and walked right past Bengal, bumping her shoulder against the Indian girl's on purpose, she headed toward the corner and pressing her back against the turnbuckle, she hung her arms over the ropes at her sides.

[AshAllen]

Naomi, by her account, has had a pretty ok record so far. Given her own personal experience and lack thereof in certain aspects of wrestling, her record was pretty ok. Two wins, one draw, and one loss. Pretty ok, and given how she’s technically a beginner in wrestling, it was spot on for her. She didn’t complain, she knew what she was getting into.

And it looks like the brass at LAW wanted to see what else she can do, especially after her match with Kasey and Bill. She had another handicap match. And now here she stood in the arena. Her theme blasting over the speakers as she posed at the top of the ramp.



And now their opponent, from New York and weighing at 168 pounds… The Queen of Sting, NAOMI VAN MAKROS!!!

Naomi Van Makros:

Her record didn’t seem that good, but she had the looks, the build, the skills, and the crowd work to get the cheers. Loud ones at that. With the cheers backing her up, hand on her hip, she strutted down the ramp like a model on a runway, which she probably could be. Swaying her hips the whole way before climbing on top of apron and hopping onto the bottom rope and doing the splits!

Just for a little showing off on her part. She wouldn’t be Naomi without being a LITTLE Bit of a showboat.

Once she was done she slipped into the ring. Eyeing her opponents and flashing them a wink and sticking her tongue out at Bengal and Ashley before going to her corner. Leaning against the turnbuckle with her arms resting atop the ropes.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal didn't dare break eye contact with Ashley, even though it felt like the Englishwoman's glare was about to burn a couple of holes into her skull. She fought to keep her body under control as the heavyweight approached, managing to keep herself from flinching when her "partner" shoulder-bumped her. Honestly, the Tiger had been expecting a whole lot worse. Instead of feeling relief, however, Ashley's surprising restraint just made Bengal worry more. She took it as a sign that her rival had more in store for her later.

Once Ashley had gotten to a safe distance, leaning against the ropes in the other corner, Bengal turned her attention toward her opponent - or rather, their opponent, she reminded herself. Naomi was lithe and muscular, with long limbs that would give her strikes an impressive reach. But she also had generous curves, accentuated by the yellow-and-black stripes of her plunging outfit. Her auburn hair bobbed up and down as she executed an intricate series of hip sways and splits. The hungry eyes of the fans followed her every move, causing Bengal to roll her own eyes in exasperation. That's one thing I like about Red, at least, the Tiger thought to herself, glancing back at the Englishwoman to make sure Ashley wasn't plotting anything. She doesn't waste my time doing a striptease for the marks.

Naomi winked confidently at Bengal as she ducked into the ring, the tip of her pink tongue protruding from her mouth. Never one to be outdone, the Tiger flashed the other woman both of her middle fingers, then quickly hid them behind her back as the referee turned suspiciously. She didn't want to risk a disqualification. Still, she wasn't about to take any teasing from this "Queen of Sting", even if Naomi was a couple inches taller than her, with a few more pounds of muscle. Bigger than me, but smaller than Ashley, the Tiger thought. The comparison made her realize something: the pair of them had never agreed which of them would fight first. She wasn't exactly on speaking terms with the Red Menace, after all. She pursed her lips, suddenly concerned. I can't let Ashley go first, she decided. She'll win on her bullshit weight advantage, like she did against me...and steal all the glory for herself!

There was no way she was going to phrase it like that when she actually spoke to Ashley, of course. Instead, she whistled to catch the Englishwoman's attention. Addressing her partner, she tried to keep her voice as casual as possible, but there was no mistaking the sneer hidden beneath her words. "Want me to go first, Red? So you can take another rest day? I know you've been having some...tough workouts lately." A catlike smile crept across her face. "Plenty of late nights at Aman, am I right?"

[Afterhoursclub]

Ashley's brow furrowed, her annoyance was quite.... notable, to say the least. The redhead was not one to take part in tag matches very often. Teamwork was a complicated matter for the redhead, not because Ashley didn't know how to work with them, but because there wasn't a single teammate she didn't want to crush instantly as soon as the bell rang.

With her back against the turnbuckle, the British woman looked up at the entrance ramp as her opponent made her way to the ring. An athletic-looking girl dressed in a black and yellow outfit. Naomi hadn't been on Ashley's radar before this match, but then again, hardly any opponent was. Ashley didn't care who was in the ring with her, as long as they gave her a good challenge.

The crowd seemed to love her, though, seeing the pop she got as soon as her music theme hit. Naomi began her descent. Gesturing to the fans and smiling.

"She's taking her sweet-ass time!" Ashley growled, wincing at Naomi's routine. The Brit raised an eyebrow the moment she saw the girl doing a split to enter the ring, rolling her eyes instantly. "Yeah, I hate her already..." Ashley thought to herself. Her attention shifted to her teammate after she whistled at her, a gesture Ashley would surely remember... and that would surely MAKE Bengal remember too...

Bengal went on about deciding who was going to start the match with Naomi, and as much as she despised anything related to The Tiger, she was right about this. The moment Bengal referenced their encounter at the Aman spa, however, the redhead's eyes peeled. An icy and murderous glare appeared on the Brit's features.

Ashley didn't say anything, she crossed stares with The Tiger and out of nowhere she laughed in an unusual and frightening manner. She leaned toward Bengal and gave the Indian girl a few pats on her back, with enough strength to shake her a little.

"You are right!" Ashley finally spoke, still laughing "You wouldn't believe it!" The redhead exaggerating with her gestures. She turned toward Naomi, adopting a serious look again:

"You start!" giving Bengal a final hard pat on her back "There won't be anything left of that chump if I get my hands on her first" Ashley said, raising her voice fully intending for Naomi to hear her.

The redhead rolled out of the ring and proceeded to wait at ringside.

[AshAllen]

Naomi watched as Ashley left and practically gave Bengal a ‘goodluck shove’. But that probably wasn’t it as it looked like either of them didn’t like the other. ‘Heh. Looks like management has a sense of humor of putting these two on the same team together.’ Naomi thought with an audible chuckle at the scene. Once Ashley left, Naomi stepped forward from her corner.


Confident.


Beautiful.


Strong.


Her figure practically glowing in the lights as they shined down from above. But Naomi wasn’t one just for show. Her bark had some serious bite and she was looking to show it. Though she did admit that her opponents were not bad looking and even downright made her want to call the redhead ‘Mommy’ at one point but she held her tongue. Who can blame her?

Anyway she focused on Bengal. Watching the tigress with a careful eye and taking her own stance. Ready to fight, and she just had the perfect idea to start this off. Her stance dropped for a moment and adopted a faux confused look. Making gestures eith her hands to emphasize her point.

“Ok what is this? I thought I was fighting the sexy redhead Amazon over there.” She gestured to Ashley at ringside then gestures back at Bengal. “Not her pet pussy cat.”

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal resisted the urge to reach up and massage her back on the spot where Ashley had patted her. At least, it might have looked like a pat, from a distance. If you squinted. Up close, it had felt more like a slap from a cricket bat. But she couldn't let the Red Menace rattle her now. Hopefully, that strike to the back would be the last time the Englishwoman laid hands on her that night. In the meantime, she had to focus on her real opponent.

She turned toward Naomi, just as the Queen began to speak. Her taunts were just as stinging as her moniker suggested. Bengal's jaw clenched; she hated the idea of anyone thinking that she was Ashley's "pet". The Red Menace didn't really seem like a cat person, anyway.

She struggled to keep her voice even as she replied, raising her head slightly to glare into the taller fighter's golden eyes. "Don't worry, honeybee," she purred, shifting into a ready stance without breaking eye contact. "You won't be fighting me for long. I'll be sure to knock you out real quick. As for the 'sexy redhead'..." She turned momentarily to look at her "partner", her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, she's been having some...back issues." Unseen by Naomi, she shot Ashley a quick wink. "Long story. I guess you could say, she learned not to catch a tiger by the tail." Her frosty eyes glinted dangerously. "You're about to get taught the same lesson!"

DING-DING! The peal of the opening bell put an end to Bengal's monologue. The Tiger and the Queen began to circle each other, fists raised, both looking for an opening to strike. If Naomi gave her the chance, Bengal planned to move in with some low kicks to the other fighter's toned legs, hopefully forcing her opponent to her knees, negating some of that height advantage. From there, she could follow up by seizing Naomi's head under her arm, pulling the Queen down headfirst into a Snap DDT!

Snap DDT

[AshAllen]

Naomi let out a haughty laugh at Bengal’s threat. She’s heard worse when in MMA. “Oh I’m sure. Hmmm….” She then had an idea as she adopted a fake thinking odor before flashing a smirk. “Maybe I’ll make a new tiger skin coat after this.”

Before there coukd be a reaction to it, the bell rung and both fighters started the match and circled each other like two predators ready to kill each other. And Bengal swiped her claws first by going for Naomi’s legs. Trying to take the height advantage Naomi had away and get her to her knees. She staggered a bit as she felt her legs be struck but she held on and pushed through. She grabbed Bengal’s wrists when she would reach out to grab Naomi’s head and instead pulled her close.

Practically yanking Bengal towards her, Naomi drove her knee upward like a piston, smashing into Bengal’s abdomen and to drive the air out of her body. “Huh, you are fast,” Naomi whispered into Bengal’s ear, drawing her in close. Not waiting for an answer, she whipped Bengal toward the ropes, then she would smash the tigress’s face with a Venomous Elbow strike on the rebound.

[BengalTheBlazeTiger]

Bengal watched Naomi stagger as her low kick connected, and for a moment, the Tiger worried that this match would be over too quickly. Her concern proved unnecessary, however, as the Queen of Sting quickly rallied. Straightening up, she caught the Indian woman by the wrists, foiling her plans for a DDT. Then she whipped Bengal toward the ropes, drawing back her own arm as she did so to prepare her Venomous Elbow!

A more defensively-minded fighter would have tried to block Naomi's attack. Bengal, however, was still sore over that joke about a "tiger-skin coat". As she rebounded off the ropes, she recklessly threw up her own arm instead, her long, slender fingers whickering through the air like a rain of arrows. If she could match her opponent's speed, she'd end up clawing Naomi across the cheek, at the same moment that the Queen's elbow thrust into her jaw.

"Ugh!" Bengal's head jerked back with an involuntary cry, as the Venomous Elbow sent her flying. She fell onto her elbows, sending pins and needles through her arms, while her mouth was filled with the iron taste of blood. As she pushed herself into a kneeling position, she could only hope that her opening move had hurt her opponent half as much as Naomi had hurt her.

[AshAllen]

Time to put this kitty down.

That was her original thought as she prepared to slam her against Bengal’s face on the rebound. The tiger had her own idea as she used the momentum from the rebound to retaliate. Both of them hit their targets and Naomi cried out from the claws of Bengal. Clutching her cheek and hissing softly before taking her hand off her cheek.

Her eyes widened a little when she saw traces of red on her palm. So Bengal wanted to play rough? Naomi knows a thing or two about that.

She marched over to recovering tiger and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet. Bringing her around so Bengal faced her and then grabbed the tiger by her wrists. “You wanna get wild?! Ok I’ll show you wild!”

Naomi suddenly shot up her knee into Bengal’s upward like a piston, smashing into Bengal’s abdomen and driving all the air out of her body. Hoping that would be enough to incapacitate her for the moment, Naomi took this opportunity to show who Bengal was dealing with.

Starting it off with a barrage of punches, then a kick to the side where her ribs were, then .uppercut to the jaw. Now to finish this little combo, Naomi would go to grab Bengal’s arms and yanked her back, going for jump to deliver a high knee kick to Beganl’s face to knock her down!