Cruz Open Challenge (For Misfit_Alien)

[Parker]

I Prevail - Come And Get It

The house lights dimmed just enough to put focus on the ramp as

stepped through the curtain for the first time as an official competitor. She didn’t strut or storm, her walk was measured, confident but unhurried, like she belonged even if tonight was only the beginning. The crowd gave a polite pop of curiosity, and she smiled faintly, acknowledging a few outstretched hands on her way to ringside.

At the apron, she paused, lifting her hand toward the nearest attendant. “Mic? Ándale, rápido.” She asked, expressing haste. They obliged quickly, passing it up, and Isabella took it with a small nod of thanks before rolling under the bottom rope.

Instead of marching to the center, she climbed onto the nearest turnbuckle, settling down cross-legged, Indian style. It was unorthodox, casual, and somehow commanding all at once. She raised the mic, her voice carrying clearly through the arena.

“Me llaman Isabella Cruz… soy la recién llegada. I’m not from here. You all can see that. But where I grew up, things were hard, money was tight, and you didn't get anything without blood or sweat as a down payment. And from the moment I walked through those locker room doors, I’ve been met with nothing but respect, smiles, and a welcome I honestly didn’t expect. For that, I’m grateful.” She let the words breathe, scanning the audience, lips quirking into a warmer smile.

“But gratitude only goes so far. This business, my life? It’s about proving yourself. So tonight, we skip the pleasantries.” Her tone sharpened, posture straightening just slightly atop the buckle. “Here’s the deal: an open challenge. Anyone, anywhere, any way. You step up, you get to pick the match. No excuses. No backing down. You call the rules, I’ll play by them.”

She leaned forward eyeing the darkened stage, letting the crowd buzz rise beneath her. “So who’s got the guts to make my first night here one to remember?”

With that, she lowered the mic and leaning back, waiting, a steady fire in her eyes as the arena rumbled in anticipation of who might answer or if LAW would pull the plug on her for coming out here unannounced to do her own thing.

[Misfit_Alien]

The crowd was eagerly awaiting the very first challenger for Izzy's brazen open challenge, her commanding tone ringing throughout the entirety of the backstage and the locker rooms within the arena. She was confident, capable, and eager to establish herself as a top name here at LAW, to earn her keep and prove that she deserved to be in this organization. She said it herself, this business was her life, and with this challenge, she didn't want anyone to doubt that claim. No excuses, no do-overs, and backing down. You only get one chance at a first impression, and by the curious chatter of the crowd, it was safe to say that Isabella Cruz made quite the statement for her first time in the ring. Then suddenly, after a few minutes of nailbiting suspense, music would play overhead, signaling the arrival of someone answering the call to adventure...

Spoiler

Out would arrive a Thai woman, her body scarred all over, her face holding an irritated and uninterested look as she marched down to the ring, dressed in typical gear found more often in a Muay Thai ring as opposed to a professional wrestling scene. The woman, despite having a decent amount of fanfare from a few knowledgeable fans in the crowd, marched to the ring without much excitement in her steps, a clear contrast to Izzy's entrance. She entered the ring by slipping through the ropes, walking right up to the corner where Izzy was perched, motioning her to come down so they could 'chat' face to face.

"...are you coming down or do I have to drag you?" She said, sounding rather demanding. "I'm not in any mood to play around, right now. Besides, you'd better hurry before the officials cut things short...I'd rather get this over with anyway-..." She said, muttering that last part as she glanced off to the side, arms crossed as she waited for Izzy to meet her on even ground.

Spoiler

[Parker]

“Everyone enjoying themselves tonight?”

It had been a minute or so of waiting, and the excited murmurs had started to dip. While Izzy wasn’t exactly used to working a crowd outside of weigh-ins or press spots, she figured now was as good a chance as ever to give it a go. The crowd responded warmly, the cheers bouncing back at her, which drew a wolfish grin across the scrappy fighter’s face.

She tucked one leg up onto the top turnbuckle with her, pantomiming a glance at an invisible watch on her wrist.

“If nobody comes out, you may end up seeing a one-on-ten brawl when security drags me out of here.”

The line landed, hoots and laughter rolling from the stands. Backstage staff, listening through the headset feed, traded nervous glances, silently dreading the possibility that they’d be the ones to draw the short straw on that. A member of production quietly slipped from their chair and discreetly hurried off to the nearest exit . Izzy gave the mic a lazy twirl, her grin widening as she exaggerated a yawn loud enough to echo through the arena.

“I expected at le—”

The sudden blare of entrance music cut her off. Isabella perked up, her neon-streaked hair bouncing as she craned her neck toward the entryway.

“Ajá… pues ahora empieza la fiesta.”

The talents of LAW came in every possible shape and size, and that was exactly what Izzy loved about it. No telling who or what was walking through those curtains. Tonight, it turned out to be someone with a far sharper edge than she’d anticipated. The grizzled looking Thai fighter marched to the ring, Muay Thai gear snug to her frame, body language all business and not a trace of charm.

Izzy’s respect was genuine. Even from a distance, she could tell this woman was a the real deal. The traditional look, the gear, the aura, it was Muay Thai to the bone. Izzy herself was no stranger to the art. Her uncle’s variation on it certainly had his detractors due to his heritage and modernizations he had made throughout the years, but its foundation came from the same lineage. She kicked her legs idly over the side of the turnbuckle like a schoolgirl watching recess, letting them swing freely as she studied her first challenger with a mix of curiosity and delight.

And then the woman opened her mouth.

Izzy blinked once, raising a brow as she cocked her head, a few neon strands fluttering past her deep brown eyes. So much for a polite introduction. Her opponent was already throwing barbs, already trying to rush things along. This woman was not the sort who knew what fun was. Izzy could tell.

“Ay sí… Su Alteza. Good evening to you too.”

Her tone was light, teasing, like someone trying to swat away a gnat buzzing in her ear. Every fiber of her being wanted to toy with this, to drag it out, to see how long this woman would insist on her version of respect. Still, she leaned back, stretched out her long legs, and finally slid down from her perch. Her feet kissed the canvas with a bounce as she straightened up.

“Alright, morra misteriosa,” she said, pacing a semi-circle, mic in hand, her grin sly as ever. “Who are you, and how are we throwing down tonight?”

With a little flourish, she turned the mic toward the newcomer, extending her arm so the crowd could drink in every word of the reply. Izzy’s eyes never left her opponent, sharp and playful all at once, daring her to make the next move.

[Misfit_Alien]

Isabella was so much more confident than Kaeo, and it really rubbed the Thai woman the wrong way. She was so loud, bold, and expressive. Where Kaeo came from, drawing attention to yourself was never a good call. She was the type to keep her head down and keep moving...although this Izzy woman reminded her a lot of how energetic she USED to be. That was before her slip into the world of underground fighting. Still, she could tell Isabella was hardened by a difficult life, too, but Kaeo actually had the scars to show for it...

Maybe there was some deeper meaning there, but Kaeo didn't want to see it...the way Isabella seemingly came out of whatever she went through and turned out for the better. Meanwhile, the uncaring Thai woman came out distant, unmoved, and irritated by simply having to be out here.

"Kaeo Amarin...and if we're being honest, I don't want to be here right now, but I'm under contract and I don't make my own fights, I just finish them..." She said, rather bluntly. There was definitely something going on with this woman in how she coldly approached this. "Let's cut to the chase. My 'employers' heard your rant, and they want a show tonight. They consider me to be their 'ace'...someone who can perform no matter the stakes." She said briefly, trying to speed things along. She seemed so uninterested and unmotivated, as if to highlight that she REALLY wasn't here by choice exactly.

"We go until knockout, either ten-count or stoppage. No rounds and no submissions...Slams are fine, but we keep it clean, deal? Just you, me, and the one language we BOTH know how to 'speak'..." She said, holding out her gloved fist toward Izzy. She could tell by her outfit, her physique, and her sharp glare that she was definitely similar to her in that she was a fighter too...a 'real' fighter, someone with a background in something less flashy and fanciful than wrestling. This meant that whoever was calling the shots for the Thai prizefighter wanted to see if this Isabella chick was worth her salt between the ropes. Kaeo, on the other hand, was just in it for the paycheck and to get her bosses off her back for the time being.

And if she had to knock this brash, loud-mouthed chick...so be it.

[Parker]

Isabella tilted her head as Kaeo laid it all out flat. No bravado. No fireworks. Just that deadpan tone and cold eyes that said she’d rather be anywhere else but here. For a second, Izzy’s grin faltered, the corner of her lip twitching. She’d thrown down an open challenge, not a hired hit.

“...So that’s it, huh?” she finally said, hopping on the balls of her feet as she sized the Thai woman up. “Your bosses pull your strings, and you just dance? Qué triste, chica. Very sad. I didn’t call someone out just to fight their paycheck.”

Her voice was sharp, but not cruel. She folded her arms, tilting her neon-streaked head to one side. “I wanted somebody who wanted this, who had fire, who was itching to prove something. And what do I get? Someone actin’ like this is just another errand.” She gave a little snort through her nose, smirking again as she jabbed a thumb toward herself. “Newsflash: I don’t give a damn about your bosses, or your contracts, or what some suit thinks about ratings. I threw down this challenge for me. Para nosotras!”

She took a few steps closer, footfalls heavy against the canvas, until she was only a couple paces away from Kaeo. “So you better figure out real quick who you’re fighting for tonight, ‘cause it ain’t them. It’s me. And if you’re not... if you’re really just here to clock in? I’m gonna make sure when I clock you out, vas a tener mucho tiempo to think about where you fucked up here tonight.”

Isabella smirked wider, but it wasn’t that cheeky look she had been flashing before. No, this was grim, the look of someone who knew they were about to do something bad, but necessary for an insult laid at their feet. She let the crowd’s cheers wash over her, feeding the tension. She didn’t offer Kaeo a chance to shake hands or bump fists, just turned away and paced to the edge of the ring.

“Deal. Knockout it is. All the rest of it, too. Pero escucha bien…” She glanced over her shoulder, eyes glinting, “…when you’re flat on your back and lookin’ up at the lights, it won’t be ‘cause your bosses told you to be there. It’ll be because I put you there.”

She gave the microphone a sharp toss to a nearby stagehand, then whirled back to face Kaeo. Her weight leaned forward, her body bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet as her fists came up, neon hair falling wild around her face. "Órale, payasito a sueldo."

[Misfit_Alien]

"That's how jobs work-..." Kaeo muttered, already sick of the woman's brazen attitude. As if she WANTED to be in this position to begin with. However, her words rang in the Thai woman's head, irritating her further. She wasn't some PUPPET, nor was she someone without fire. "You think you KNOW me? I have a lot more to deal with than you being upset that you didn't get what you wanted for your impromptu debut, you whiny brat." She said, clearly aggravated now, her brows furrowing as her eyes narrowed sharply, a razor-like gaze focusing purely on the Mexican fighter. Isabella sounded so offended, and it drove Kaeo up the wall...she seemed pretentious, trying to talk to Kaeo about motivations and such.

"You've been running your mouth far too long tonight with all this grandstanding. So you know what, I'll be more than happy to welcome you not just to this dump but to the infirmary as well after I've knocked your jaw loose." She said, cracking her knuckles, raising her fists, and getting her stance. Once a referee slid in to try and preside over the unfolding situation, the bell was rang and the fight was ON!!!


DING DING DING!!!


Without further ado, Kaeo moved forward with an opening volley of swift jabs, each one snappy but light, lacking in pure stopping power but making up for it with speed and quantity to test the waters, see how Izzy reacted, and check if she had some bite to go with all that bark of hers. She'd toss out jab after jab with the same hand, letting her fist either strike the air or make contact with Isabella's forearm and hand if she decided to block. Every now and then, she'd mix in a feint straight with her other hand, trying to bait out a reaction out of Isabella. She wasn't stupid. She could see that the woman was clearly experienced as a fighter, but that didn't mean she was infallible. Everyone had a tell, some kind of weakness, a gap in their defenses, a hole in their armor...and Kaeo was going to exploit that.

If Izzy weren't careful, a purposefully overextending jab from Kaeo would shift into a sudden grab as Kaeo's fist sailed past the Mexican woman's head, only to snatch her by her hair in an attempt to drag her face down into a surprise knee strike, the Thai woman trying to set the pace early by crashing her leg into the mouthy woman's cheek and jaw.

[Parker]

“Oooh, mira, la chica seria’s got a tongue after all~.” Izzy cooed, hands rising up in a guard.

“Don’t get it twisted, cariña, I called out a fighter, not some pet attack dog with dead fish eyes.” Now she was just being disrespectful to rile the woman further. She had her reasons.

The bell rang.

Kaeo wasted no time, snapping forward with a lightning jab. The first thudded into Izzy’s guard, rattling her arms. The second did the same. The third scraped across her forearm, enough to make her teeth grit. By the fourth, though, she was starting to slip, head weaving side to side, body rocking and bending in little bursts of rhythm. Her footwork was light, almost dancing, every retreating step on the canvas deliberate, drawing Kaeo out from the corner.

“C’mon then, rápida!” Izzy called, her voice playful even as she ducked another fist by the slimmest of margins, her braid flicking over her shoulder as she bent low. “If you’re gonna show me fire, I wanna feel it.”

Kaeo obliged, lunging forward with a sudden overcommitted jab that blurred past Izzy’s cheek. The Thai fighter’s hand snapped up, seizing a fistful of the cerulean-streaked hair and yanking her forward- and then-

CRACK!

The knee shot upward, but Izzy’s instincts kicked in. Her forearms crossed just in time, shoving her guard down to intercept the woman’s thigh before the knee could obliterate her face. The block still jarred her arms and made her teeth rattle, but she twisted with the momentum, wrenching her head free of Kaeo’s grip.
She stumbled back, breath quick and shallow, her chest rising and falling against the snug reflective gold of her top, but her eyes, wide, glittering, were alive with something hotter than fear. She licked her lips, shook her head, and began to circle again, her steps light as a dancer’s.

“You kick hard, chica,almost like you know what you are doing, huh?” she teased, her tone laced with a snarky lilt. “Aprendo rápido, no soy tonta.” She flicked a finger toward Kaeo, wagging it at her from side to side, tsking, her grin curving like a cat’s. She swayed, feinting left, then right, keeping Kaeo chasing shadows. “…I love pickin’ at threads until the whole thing comes undone~.”

Suddenly, Izzy pivoted, spinning on her heel to snap her shin across the outside of Kaeo’s standing calf with a sharp, slicing low kick. A clean, stinging strike, her leg cutting across with a whip-like crack meant to chip away at the Thai woman’s foundation rather than her prominent kicking leg.

[Misfit_Alien]

Kaeo's knee strike was blocked...expected, but the Thai woman would be lying if she said that she wasn't hoping to crack Izzy's face up with that blow. Still, it clearly shook Izzy up. The raw impact alone, paired with the fact that she only narrowly blocked it, rattled the Mexican woman, but before Kaeo could jump on the opportunity to pile on the pressure, Isabella responded with a few smart remarks, earning more of Kaeo's ire as the pair broke off and reset, circling around with their gaze never leaving the other's body.

"You talk too much..." Kaeo said, getting snippy with the mouthy Mexican woman as they practically glided around the ring with such unexpectedly refined grace.

Their movements were carefully measured, demonstrating that these two weren't just your average prizefighters. Power, speed, will...all of those were key components in a fighter, but without the fundamentals, you might as well not step in the ring. These two women had skill and technique in spades. There wasn't a single wasted motion, with each step in their mutual spiral around the ring leading them closer to one another before Izzy decided to close the gap first. Following a few playful feints and sways, of which Kaeo ignored, Isabella would swing her leg around with a sudden low kick that SLAMMED into Kaeo's back leg, a loud -THWACK- sounding off upon contact as the Thai woman grit her teeth, standing her ground. The impact was precise, and while Kaeo didn't stagger too much, it did hurt like hell.

Regardless, she kept her posture and lunged forward with a quick thrust of a leg, attempting a teep kick with her front leg to try and catch Izzy on the retreat with a strike to her stomach...

[Parker]

The Thai woman’s leg shot forward like a piston, and though Isabella tried to retreat in time, the teep kick still smashed flush against her midsection.

“Hrk!” she grunted, folding around the blow as it knocked her back a few paces. Her feet scraped hard against the mat, her streaked ponytail whipping as she skidded. One hand dipped to her stomach, her body curling in on itself as a cough forced its way out of her lungs. The sting lingered, her core burning, but the scrappy fighter wasn’t about to give Kaeo the satisfaction of seeing her buckle.

“Yeah, my coach used to say that too.” She bounced, eyes never leaving the Thai fighter. Her chest rose and fell in ragged bursts, but her stance reset, low, prowling, bouncing lightly from foot to foot as if she hadn’t just been nailed. Her lips tugged into a crooked grin, a playful defiance sparkling through the haze of pain. “Ooh, so that’s your bite, huh? Not bad…” she purred, brushing a sweaty lock of blue hair out of her face. “But I’ve eaten worse hits than that for breakfast.”

She circled wide, her movements fluid, almost dance-like, teasing Kaeo with each sway of her hips as if daring her to follow. Then, with a sudden snap of her leg, Izzy lashed out again toward the same spot on Kaeo’s back leg.

The snap of her leg was sharp but her foot to pull back at the last moment - a feint. She spun on her heel, dipped low, and surged in all at once, arms spreading wide as she drove forward for a sudden double-leg takedown! The shift in pace was startling, her earlier gliding movements giving way to a raw, explosive burst of energy. It was time to see if this woman was a purist or not. On the ground, Isabella would have a clear advantage if this woman had diversified her style.

If she managed to bowl Kaeo over and bring the other woman down, Izzy would waste no time climbing on top of her, swinging a leg over and dropping into a full mount. Ground and pound was the name of the game, raising fists high to rain down a flurry of hammering blows, each strike aimed to rattle the Muay Thai practitioner.

[Misfit_Alien]

"Weird choice of a diet-..." Kaeo chimed, unexpectedly quipping back at Isabella as if to mock how stupid her statement sounded. Kaeo didn't even expect it herself. The words just came out of her in response. It was a strange feeling...oddly comical...a wry smirk appearing on her lips for a brief moment before settling back into that uncaring scowl.

The pair resumed their dance around the ring, each move a calculated step in the ever-changing pace of their mutual rhythm. For every push, a pull...every action, a reaction...but unlike a dance between partners, there was no effort to keep pace and work together, and there was certainly no reason to be truthful with your opponent. Such was the case when Izzy tossed her own feint to throw Kaeo off, seemingly going for that sharp low kick to shake up the Thai woman's posture, only to swap things up and tackle her adversary to the ground with a Double-Leg Takedown!!! Kaeo's eyes widened...of course-...She set the rules, but she certainly wasn't expecting this. Thank god for her experience in the underground, because otherwise, she might actually be in serious trouble here...Well, she definitely wasn't out of the woods yet, to be sure.

With that, Kaeo came crashing down across the canvas, landing on her back with a stiff grunt as Izzy clambered on top of her, swapping to a more MMA-centric style mount. The close quarters situation became even more intimate as tensions grew thicker. Kaeo tightened her fists and quickly shot her guard up, getting clipped by Izzy's first punch before defending herself against the rest. A sharp pain was emanating from her cheek where the woman's taped fists grazed her, but the Thai woman simply used the pain as fuel...motivation...all in an effort to endure until she found an opening for herself. She had to admit, Isabella was certainly no slouch when it came to fighting, even on the ground. Her hits HURT, and Kaeo could feel every impact reverberating through her bones. Still, as Izzy drew her fists back, Kaeo would attempt to return fire, slipping a few jabs back at Izzy as the two danced to the same tune and rhythm, slipping and defending while poking at one another, every punch being narrowly evaded by the slimmest of margins, with Kaeo having very little room for error, making her slips much more impressive as she stared back at Isabella with that same cold look.

"Did you seriously think I wouldn't be ready for this? Tch-...You're dumber than you look, y'know-..." She said, attempting to bait Izzy into throwing another punch, to which Kaeo would respond by trying to latch her arm around the Mexican woman's head for a Guillotine Choke counter.