Lacey Whitman vs. Zhu Chao-Xing

[CaptainL]

It had only been by virtue of a fraction of a second - but when she needed most to pull off a miracle, Lacey delivered. She kicked out her legs, ensnaring the ropes just before her head could come crashing down onto the cold, unforgiving floor - and right when Chao-Xing thought she was about to end the match, Lacey had saved herself. For a moment, she stayed there, dangling upside down. Her own eyes were wide with surprise at the thought that she'd even made it work - even for her, it had been an act of desperation she barely had any faith in. Yet, she had done it. And with that realization came a few more - namely, the rising confidence that gripped her as she realized she still had a chance! The fact that she'd been left hanging upside down also left her feel incredibly relieved she wore shorts under her skirt, but that wasn't important. What was important was that Lacey was still in the game - and just a moment later, she sat back up straight with a grin on her face as she locked her eyes on her opponent, intent on pursuing that advantage!

Chao-Xing turned to run the ropes, hoping to make a statement with how she hurled Lacey off her perch, but her hubris could only prove her downfall - in doing so, she left the green-haired girl enough time to set up her counterattack, and when she came bouncing back, she did so just in time for Lacey to hop off the ropes, driving her knee into the Chinese woman's jaw! As her blow landed with a crack, a burst of cheers went up from the fans, eager to see Lacey make a comeback! When she landed, she stood tall and straight, beaming with a grin as she thrust a fist proudly in the air. She had done it - she was delivering on her promises to all the fans to come back swinging, and they were all the more eager to cheer her for it!

Lacey reminded herself that she couldn't let them down now - and now that she had Chao-Xing down, she knew she had the chance to strike; she wouldn't turn that down! She turned to the ropes, climbing up to the middle one and stretching her arms out at the sides to balance herself as she turned to face her foe. Then, she would jump off, throwing herself down on top of Chao-Xing with her leg outstretched to hit a leg drop on her chest in order to press the advantage further!

[ReticentCone]

Getting hit was just part of combat sports and as someone who'd been fighting since her teenage years in underground combat, Chao-Xing was certainly used to getting hit. B aside from the obvious physical pain of a blow powerful enough to knock her over, there was something that really bothered her was the source of the blow

If Lacey defended herself from the macau woman this well from the start of the match, rather than get pounced and pummeled, that'd be one thing, but she hadn't, so the luck of first saving herself them getting off a knee strike, was annoying. Pain would soon surpass annoyance for the Crimson Lotus, though, as Lacey's leg drop landed square on her chest, causing her to cry out considerablr, though far from devestating, pain, roll on her side and grab her chest.

[CaptainL]

To someone as proud - and as dismissive of her opponent - as Chao-Xing was, getting hit by Lacey was an annoyance. But to Lacey, who had spent too much of this match getting beaten and pushed around at Chao-Xing's hands, that blow meant everything. It had been a rebuttal of everything the Chinese woman had tried to tell her up to this point - of how small and helpless she'd tried to make her feel. Now, Lacey was proving she was stronger than that. Strong enough to make a difference! The fans were cheering her on, too, and the fact that those same fans she owed everything to and wanted to do right by were celebrating her efforts only told Lacey that what she was doing was working. If it was all coming together so well so far...then she wasn't going to hesitate when it came to taking it a step further!

Emboldened by her efforts, the green-haired girl flung herself off the ropes, coming down on top of Chao-Xing with a loud thump! Now, as Chao-Xing went rolling aside, Lacey was proving that this was no mere fluke - that she had it in her to take things back! If the fans were ready to cheer Lacey on last time, they were even more excited to see her efforts work out not once but twice - and the cheers that came down from the stands were even louder than before! "YES!!" Her face lighting up with a grin, Lacey threw back her head and thrust a fist to the sky in celebration. She was doing this!

In fact, if she had been able to land two hits on Chao-Xing in a row, it only seemed reasonable she could go for a third. Perhaps it was a cocky move, but Lacey was just getting herself hyped up more and more, and when she heard the whole arena rally behind her, she felt like she could take on anything. In fact, she might as well secure her dominance with a move even bigger and better than ever, to seal the deal! When Chao-Xing's head was surely still spinning, she had her chance - and she wasn't going to waste it!

Once again, Lacey rose to her feet, only briefly stopping to dust herself off before her eyes settled on the corner post. Once again, she took off running across the ring, going to the turnbuckles - and this time, she'd climb up onto the middle rope, and then onto the top! There she stood, bent at the knees with her arms held out wide to steady her balance. She called out to the fans with a wave and a cry of "Heeeere I go-!!~", drawing even more cheers - and those cheers wouldn't stop as she sprung off the ropes with her arms held wide, prepared to throw herself on top of Chao-Xing to hit a frog splash!

[ReticentCone]

As Chao-Xing lay on her side, she grew ever angrier. That Lacey was getting offense on her was one thing and that she was clearly enjoying herself was another, but the crowd. They were cheering her on, they were excited to see this in-artful girl land a couple lucky blows in a row! The Crimson Lotus would not tolerate this any longer. Lacey Whitman would be made to pay a steep price for all this and she'd be rendered just as helpless as her fans in saving herself from her deserved fate.

But first Chao-Xing, needed to take back her the momentum in the match, so she could lead it where she wanted it. Noticing Lacey rushing towards a ring corner, she knew that another wreckless leaping attack was about to be under way. So rather than get up, she lys on her back, hand on her chest as if she was still seriously hurting, then once Lacey was in the air, Chao-Xing's knees came ul to her chest with almost mechanical pace, giving the girl nice hard surface of knees and shins to land on.

Now, Chao-Xing would get to her feet. Now, was the time to do some dangerous damage to her opponent. whatever state the Lacey was in, it mattered to her not, to the crimson Lotus, as long as she remained on the canvas, She'd line her up, take a few steps back, then aim to run and punt her head like she was kicking a field goal in America football!

[ReticentCone]

As Chao-Xing lay on her side, she grew ever angrier. That Lacey was getting offense on her was one thing and that she was clearly enjoying herself was another, but the crowd. They were cheering her on, they were excited to see this in-artful girl land a couple lucky blows in a row! The Crimson Lotus would not tolerate this any longer. Lacey Whitman would be made to pay a steep price for all this and she'd be rendered just as helpless as her fans in saving herself from her deserved fate.

But first Chao-Xing, needed to take back her the momentum in the match, so she could lead it where she wanted it. Noticing Lacey rushing towards a ring corner, she knew that another wreckless leaping attack was about to be under way. So rather than get up, she lys on her back, hand on her chest as if she was still seriously hurting, then once Lacey was in the air, Chao-Xing's knees came ul to her chest with almost mechanical pace, giving the girl nice hard surface of knees and shins to land on.

Now, Chao-Xing would get to her feet. Now, was the time to do some dangerous damage to her opponent. whatever state the Lacey was in, it mattered to her not, to the crimson Lotus, as long as she remained on the canvas, She'd line her up, take a few steps back, then aim to run and punt her head like she was kicking a field goal in America football!

[CaptainL]

The last two times had worked. It stood to reason that the third time Lacey went to score a blow on her opponent, she would face similar success. Her efforts had done a lot to prove - at least to her - that Zhu Chao-Xing was no one she needed to be afraid of, and that she had the potential in her to stand up to her, no matter how skilled or imposing she might have been. And if she didn't have to worry about retaliation...then she didn't need to worry about the setup she put into her next move, either. The smile grew across Lacey's face as she took off toward the corner, already brimming with excitement for what was next to come. She knew the fans were watching her, waiting for the climax, and she was happy to deliver - she'd make sure she capped this off with a bang that would send everyone home happy! If she was going to beat Chao-Xing, she'd do so with the greatest, most epic, most impressive showcase of her talent yet!

All of that was running through the green-haired girl's head as she clambored up onto the ropes. When the heard the cheers of the fans surge behind her, she could feel her heart beat just a little faster; her smile grew wider at the thought that she was about to make the magic happen! Without any hesitation, she sprung from the top rope, throwing herself straight toward Chao-Xing with her arms held wide and ready for the impact!

But Lacey didn't get the thump of body against body she had expected when she came down on top of Chao-Xing, nor the rumble of the canvas beneath her weight. Chao-Xing had managed to lift her knees to protect herself - and Lacey only realized it the moment she came down on top of them at full speed, driving them into her chest! In an instant, the look of pride and triumph on her face turned to a slack-jawed gasp as she was thrown back from her opponent, rolling across the mat; she came to rest on her side, panting for air as she clutched her chest with her jaw dangling limp and her body lurching with every heave. Her head was still spinning in a daze - and she wouldn't have the opportunity to catch her breath before Chao-Xing followed that up with a swift punt to her head!

"GAAAH!!" Pain exploded through Lacey's system as she let out a scream. Borne by the momentum of the strike, she was bowled over an went toppling onto her side, clutching and rubbing at her scalp to try and dull the ache. But she had crumpled limp against the mat, and her head was still spinning - by all means, in the perfect position for Chao-Xing to take advantage...

[ReticentCone]

Chao-Xing's punt kick had done its job & she had, indeed, kicked the younger woman's head like an American football, with precision & purpose. As far as she was concerned, she didn't kick Lacey quite as hard as she possibly could have, as doing so obviously would have knocked the girl's lights out, right then and there. Whether or not one believed that was true, what was certain was that the Macau woman wanted to do much worse to Lacey than simply knock her out cold, especially since she'd dared put up the resistance she had so far, without having any of the technique of a proper martial artist.

No, she needed to show up this girl's skill at every opportunity, then finish the match by breaking this doll enough to send a message to her & more importantly to LAW management, to never put her in the same ring as a 'pretender' such as this ever again. If the crowd that loved this mediocrity so much were booing Chao-Xing now, it'd only intensify with what'd come next. After turning back around to face Lacey's crumpled body, she'd walk back away from it a good number of steps, before running back towards in. Then, in one swift motion, she'd jump up, higher than Lacey could have, surely and flipped in the air to slam herself back first onto her inexperienced foe, using her own Senton bomb finisher on her!

Assuming all went well, however, there'd be no attempt at a pin, rather, Zhu would drag the woman toward and under the ropes while stepping outside herself, aiming to leave the girl hanging off the apron, head first.

[CaptainL]

For a brief moment, Lacey had tasted triumph. She'd finally managed to turn things around on Chao-Xing, landing the aerial offense she did best - and not only was it keeping the Chinese woman down, it was also getting the fans more and more hyped up with every feat of grace and agility she performed. When she hit her stride, her offensive was as much a showcase of her gymnastics skills as it was a bid for victory, and it made her heart soar to know that everyone was on her side. But that moment of triumph only lasted long enough for Chao-Xing to take it away from her. Not only had she broken Lacey's fall with a piercing blow to her chest, she'd followed that up with a hard-hitting kick to the skull that left the green-haired girl crumpled on the mat!

Now the crowd was booing Chao-Xing for the cruelty she showed the fan-favorite. But it did little to slow her down. Chao-Xing's next move was a blow aimed at Lacey's pride just as much as it was at her body - she was looking to outdo her at her own game! Still groggy and groaning, the American wasn't ready to defend herself against whatever her opponent had next up her sleeve. She barely knew that Chao-Xing was about to hit her with a Senton Bomb; she was focused on getting the air back in her lungs, panting and groaning as she pushed herself up on her hands and knees. But her opponent would assert her presence soon enough, when she threw herself through the air and crashed down against her back!

"GAH-!!" If the impact of Chao-Xing's body wasn't bad enough, the force with which she'd landed caused Lacey to drop down face-first into the canvas, hitting her already aching head in the process with the sound of a loud thump! Her teeth clenched in a grimace as the static resounded through her skull; she wanted to grab at her temples to dull the pain, but she could barely find the strength when the air had been driven from her lungs. And her trouble was only beginning. Lacey could only pant and groan slowly as Chao-Xing dragged her across the ropes, her eyes half-lidded and her tongue dangling out of her mouth. When Chao-Xing draped her halfway over the ropes, and she dangled limply there, a good few fans looked off aghast, covering their eyes from what was to come. But it was doubtful anything could stop Zhu Chao-Xing now...

[ReticentCone]

If there was one thing that Chao-Xing could be counted to excercise in the ring, it was spite. Absolute, unrelenting, spite. That was what motivated every move that she'd used against Lacey. It was what motivated her useage of her senton bomb against her, a move that was effective, but perhaps not quite as an effective as an alternative, but it did have the great benefit of causing her opponent some amount a mental anguish from using it. The spite wasn't just for the green haired girl, too, but from the fans that cheered her on & the bookers that put her in this match to start with. For them, she intended on doing all that should could to hurt this rookie.

While most might think to use the outside of the ring to toss their opponent around, The Crimson Lotus had a more devious purpose, that put a premium on pulling Lacey out of the ring as quickly as possible, not that she couldn't make that process painful for her opponent as well. She quickly wraped her left arm around her opponent's neck, then pulled her off the ring far enough until she could fall backward for a DDT. Not wasting a moment, Chao-Xing quickly swung around on the ground & put the dazed young woman into a crossface submission hold. Her aim here, was simple. In the ring, she might choose to tap out of such a move. On the outside? Lacey would have no choice but to endure the pain if she couldn't escape, at least until a count-out had been reached

Chao-Xin, for her part, did not intend on maintaining the hold into a disqualification, she'd let go of the hold before then & climb back into the ring. Nor did she intend on winning by a countout either, because as soon as she climbed into the ring, she'd roll right back out. No, her goal was to utterly destroy Lacey, Her brutal aim was to ensure that this match ended with a referee stoppage & her opponent being carried off on a stretcher. No, a count out for either of them would not do at all.

[CaptainL]

When Chao-Xing turned Lacey's own senton bomb against her, it was a blow that hit her both physically and psychologically. It hurt, of course - it had knocked the already downed girl flat onto her face, crushing the air out of her lungs and leaving her head spinning. But even when everything else was hazy and indistinct, Lacey could still recognize that Chao-Xing had calculated this move to sew the seeds of doubt in her. Lacey was a former gymnast who took pride in her acrobatic skills, hoping to use them to wow the fans - and now, Chao-Xing was outdoing her at her own game. The fans were booing her for her cruelty, but Lacey understood the message she had intended loud and clear. She wanted Lacey to feel like no matter what she tried, it simply wouldn't do good enough to measure up!

That had already sent a shiver up her spine - but what came next was even worse. Seeing how the green-haired girl was draped over the ropes, the referee moved closer to begin counting for a rope break. But Chao-Xing was already in motion. Grabbing Lacey by the head, she sent her hurtling through the air! Though Lacey was still stunned, when she opened her eyes to see herself in freefall, that was enough to shake her to her senses enough to send a scream ripping from her lungs. And that scream was ended just as quickly as it had begun, when her face came slamming into the floor with a resounding THUMP!

If Chao-Xing had left Lacey there, face-down and plastered against the ground, it would've surely been enough. Her hips were raised in the air, her arms limp at her side, and her body barely budged as a low, weak groan escaped her. But Chao-Xing still wasn't done - and as she grabbed at the girl's head to twist it back in a crossface, Lacey screamed again, her face contorting under the agony of her spine being wrenched and bent!

"One! Two! Three! Four! Five!" The referee kept counting, but Chao-Xing never seemed anywhere closer to letting go. Eventually, she released Lacey, leaving her slumped face-down and gasping on the mat as her whole body shuddered with pain. But that was just so that she could get back in the ring and restart the count, and the moment the referee stopped, Chao-Xing was already back out again, ready to bring the hurt.

However, the break in the action did give Lacey a chance to catch her breath, and a chance to think. Her whole body was aching; every time she moved even an inch, she sank back down, shuddering under the pain. But she remembered the training she'd been through with Arizona. She had been honing her endurance and her resistance to submissions, especially those that targeted the back. If she had vowed not to fall victim to that again...she couldn't let it rule her here!

Sucking in a gulp, and summoning all the willpower she had, Lacey grabbed for the mat in front of her, trying to pull herself out of harm's way. Dragging herself across the ground and wriggling on her belly, she would try and bring herself to the corner, where she could hopefully steady herself enough to get back in the ring! It wouldn't be easy, she knew that as much - but when she had put in the work to improve, she wasn't going to make a liar out of herself!