Cruz Open Challenge (For Misfit_Alien)

[Parker]

"Make due with what you got where I come from." Izzy felt the jolt of satisfaction when her shoulder pressed into Kaeo’s hips and the Thai woman toppled. The canvas rattled beneath their combined weight, and before Kaeo had time to fully brace, Izzy was already mounting, straddling her with sharp intent. Fists chambered, she let the first strike crack through Kaeo’s guard, the sting of knuckles splitting across cheekbone before the other woman’s arms came up tighter. The next blows clipped elbows and forearms, dulled by Kaeo’s compact defense.

Izzy clicked her tongue, dark eyes narrowing. “Huh. Not just some stand-up striker, are you? You’ve been here before.” There was no flash of frustration in her tone—only assessment, curiosity. Kaeo’s defense wasn’t flawless, but it was practiced. Each slip was razor-close, every counterpunch a reminder that she wasn’t facing an amateur.

Fine. If she couldn’t break the guard, she’d strangle the guard.

Izzy dipped her chest down hard, collapsing the distance until their foreheads almost brushed, her sweat-slick hair spilling across Kaeo’s shoulder. Her weight bore down, pressing the Thai’s shoulders into the mat, and suddenly their fists were useless, there was no room to leverage effective punches. That was the point.

In one fluid movement she shot her arm deep, threading under Kaeo’s guard and sliding behind her arm, hooking tight at the back of her neck. Izzy’s other arm snaked across, elbow planted and hand tucking to her own shoulder, forearms crossing above and below Kaeo’s throat like twin steel bars.
“Let’s see you slip this, cariña,” Izzy growled, her voice low and intimate in the crush of the hold.

Her chest pressed flush to Kaeo’s body as she cinched for an Ezekiel choke, her weight sealing the trap. Shoulders hunched, forearms grinding down, she flexed her back and pressed her cheek to Kaeo’s temple, cranking down with every ounce of her leverage. The ropes, the crowd, the lights, all of it faded as she funneled her power into one ruthless squeeze, intent on making every second feel like drowning.

[Misfit_Alien]

Izzy's words rang out in Kaeo's head...not the sly insults or the ceaseless banter, but what she said before all that. This...idea...of getting through whatever you're facing, however you can, and by whatever means you have at your disposal. That comment resonated with Kaeo because she lived by the words, too. She had to, where she grew up. In that aspect, these two were more alike than she'd like to admit...but there was something about Isabella that just seemed so much brighter, happier, and stronger. Kaeo wouldn't say it to her face, but her eyes told a different story...they silently asked a question, one thrown out into the void.

What makes us different? How is it that...for all our struggles and hardships...only one of us wound up scarred?

How is it that you can still go and smile when I can't?

Unfortunately, Kaeo would have the chance to really dwell on any potential answers as Izzy moved forward to try and lock the Thai woman down with a submission hold. Kaeo fought against the Mexican woman's movements as best as she could, but that wasn't enough...despite her experience within the world of underground fighting, her ground game wasn't nearly as sharpened as her stand-up fighting skills, especially when dealing with someone this quick on their feet. Against anyone else, the Thai prizefighter would've been able to slip free pretty easily, but there was something about Izzy that just made things a million times harder.

Yet, as Kaeo was struggling to breathe with the tan-skinned woman looming so close to her, their bodies grinding and fighting against each other for the slightest scraps of control, the Thai woman felt a tinge of excitement within her core, as if all of Izzy's remarks and attacks were lighter fluid pouring onto some scrap wood, igniting into a raging inferno. Kaeo thought back to what the woman said before...fighting for herself...a puppet on strings...Kaeo couldn't explain it then and there, but she wanted to disprove that, to show that she was more than just a voiceless, nameless puppet tied down by some shapeless entity.

Using her long arms, Kaeo would slip one free and start SLAMMING it into Izzy's head, striking at the woman's temple however she could. They weren't the stiffest, sharpest punches, but given enough time, the damage would certainly mount up. Now the Thai woman was in a race to see if she could make her Mexican adversary yield before she ran out of air, striking away at Izzy again and again, however she could.


Make do with what you got, right?

[Parker]

Izzy clamped down on the Ezekiel choke, her body tight against Kaeo’s, refusing to give the woman room to breathe, let alone think. She felt the pulse and grind of the Thai fighter’s muscles beneath her, that heat of desperation thrumming up into her chest. It was like trying to tame a wild dog, no easy feat, but she had no intention of letting go until she had to.

But just like wrangling that wild bite, you are going to get bitten.

Then the blows came. First one, then another, hammering into the side of her head. Not clean, not technical, but sharp enough to rattle her skull and threaten to turn her hold into a liability. Izzy hissed through clenched teeth, lowering her head into her top arm, tucking her chin deep to shield herself with a low profile. The strikes thudded into her blindly, glancing off more than they landed, but the danger was real. Too many of those and she’d be left loopy.

She couldn’t ignore it.

Snarling, Izzy made her choice. She unraveled the choke in a sudden whip of motion, twisting her arms free as she pushed off Kaeo’s chest and hips. Her body dipped back, disengaging between Kaeo’s blows, and just as the space opened up she snapped forward with one stiff, vicious straight right, her knuckles cracking flush against Kaeo’s face.

“Toma, tu besito de recuerdo!”

The impact would be sharp, her fist punishing enough to stop a flurry in its tracks. Izzy rocked back on her knees, retreating quick before the Thai striker could coil her arms around her again. One leg planted, then the other, and she scrambled up to her feet, chest rising and falling in sharp heaves as she backed off a step.

Her eyes cut down at Kaeo, fire behind them now. She smirked, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her taped hand.

“How much they give you, perro de paga?? Must be pretty good if you think it'll cover the damage.” Izzy raised her fists again, bouncing lightly on her toes, daring Kaeo to rise and come at her fresh. To the scrappy fighter’s credit, she gave room and opportunity. Nothing stopped her from just changing her angle on the ground and applying hold after hold.

[Misfit_Alien]

Kaeo managed to get Izzy to break the hold, but it wouldn't be as easy as that, as the Mexican woman retreated with a stiff right punch that pierced past Kaeo's guard, smashing into her face and causing her to see stars for just a moment.

"Nhf-" Kaeo grunted, stifling her pained expression as she grit her teeth, rolling with the rest of Izzy's punch to try and minimize the damage. She panted, wiping her cheek and resetting herself as she kept her gloves up, unshaken and ready to get back in the fray. She'd taken heavy hits before, and while it hurt, she wasn't the type to shy away from pain...the handful of scars lining her figure from head to toe were a sign of that.

When the pair rose back to their feet, Izzy broke the momentary silence almost immediately, plaguing the ring with more of her chatter, though Kaeo was far quicker to respond this time around. "Depends on the performance-..." She replied rather dryly, before cocking a wry smirk.

"How about after I lay you out, I send you a picture of the winner's purse?" She said, getting a little snarky now. If Izzy wanted to play this game, two could do so...it wasn't Kaeo's forte, but spending years in the underground, you eventually come face to face with a few wisecracking, smartmouthed opponents...and you learn how to deal with them beyond just shutting them up with your fists.

Kaeo moved forward, tossing a quick flurry of jabs aimed high, snapping away at Izzy's face, trying to force her to take a step back...then another...the one more before quickly swinging her leg down just as Izzy moved backward. If the Thai woman timed this correctly, she'd snag the back of Izzy's ankle with a low kick as the Mexican woman retreated, throwing her rhythm off by tripping her up and throwing her off balance.

This would force Izzy into a stumble, leaving her vulnerable for just a moment. With a bit of luck and some sharp timing, a hopefully discombobulated Isabella wouldn't be able to stop the push kick from nailing her in the stomach, knocking her back-first into the corner behind.

[Parker]

Izzy clicked her tongue at Kaeo’s answer to how much money she brought in with this gig. She was bobbing, mobile, but between her wrapped fists her wide grin managed to be seen with crystal clarity. “Getting boned on this one then, perro de paga.”

When the other woman came in on her, she was ready to respond, elusively leaning away and swinging herself just out of reach. Like an annoying gnat it was almost like Kaeo could snap out and touch her but she was already gone or just too far. Her spacing after they had exchanged their first few blows seemed immaculate. If it had come down to that, Izzy might have run circles around her, but Kaeo had traps of her own at play and was thinking ahead now.

“You wanna send me pictures now, that's your way of asking for my number?” Izzy purposely ignored the contact of her opponents words and struck past it. She was playing her own game here, testing every angle with her punches, with her didges, with her holds and her words. Dissecting what made the martial arts mercenary tick. “Ay, bebé… si querías cita no hacía falta que me dejaras partirte el culo; con invitarme bastaba.” She gave Kaeo a cheeky look, wiggling her brow up and down at the woman.

When the kick came low, she moves for that to, away to soften the blow, but not enough to stop the intent. As Kaeo pulled back, Izzy’s leg slipped out from under her leaving her briefly stumbling on one foot, a half hop but it was all the other woman needed to drill her in the stomach with a push kick. Izzy hit the turnbuckles hard, immediately recognizing the danger she was in she turtled up, tucking her body low and presenting her forearms like a barrier, elbows tucked to guard the body while she hid her head behind her fists

[Misfit_Alien]

Kaeo stopped in her tracks for a moment, raising her head confusedly. Did she-...Was Izzy-...? Surely not-...But what if? "Did-...did you just call me 'baby' in Spanish? What on earth did you just say-...?" Kaeo asked quizzically, furrowing one brow while raising the other, not quite catching what Izzy had been saying, save for a few words, thanks to some context clues and basic understanding of Spanish, but getting caught off guard by the woman saying 'bebé' like that on top of that look she gave her before the Thai woman sent her stumbling into the corner. After trying to wrap her head around Izzy's words, Kaeo simply rushed forward to try and break through Izzy's defenses. However, this big wind-up would serve as a massive feint. Had Isabelle already forgotten? This wasn't your standard stand-up striking match...

The Thai woman would dart in close, and instead of slamming her leg or fist into Izzy's guard, she'd grab a tight hold of her, snatching her by the arms and suddenly THROWING her overhead with a Bridging Exploder Suplex, driving the Mexican woman back-first across the canvas with a hefty -THUD- as the ring shook a little from the impact!!!

Spoiler

Kaeo would hold the move for just a moment before letting up, quickly moving back to her feet while allowing Izzy a chance to lick her wounds and recover, albeit for just a short while. "I'm feeling generous, so take a sec-...you look like you need it. And be careful now. This 'dog' plays rough...'bebé'..." She said, throwing Izzy's words back in her face. If Izzy lingered on her remark for too long, the Thai woman would clap her gloved fists together, ushering Izzy to focus on the task at hand. "C'mon now! Get up so I can hit you again-..." She said, bouncing on her feet.

[Parker]

She hunkered down and he was ready to weather the storm. She gauge what to do when the first hit came in and work from there. She watched Kaeo through the thin gap between her arms, silently relieved the woman was coming in close to throw hands instead of staying back with more kicks. Leaning she prepared to brace only to have arms wrap around her. A clinch? No… Izzy’s body tensed as she was hefted up out of the corner in one quick and powerful motion.

Izzy’s world turned into a heartbeat of as she sailed, then the ring slammed up into her back with the kind of force that stole her breath and rattled her teeth. She felt the Bridging Exploder through every vertebra, the canvas bouncing under her like a drum as the impact hammered through her spine. For a moment she just lay there, winded, one hand clawing uselessly at the mat while the other automatically went to her lower back.

A rough, half-laugh escaped her between wheezes, painful, incredulous, somewhere between spite and amusement. She forced her mouth into a crooked grin, spitting the words out even as the sting spread. Kaeo got her good. While she hadn’t forgotten anything flew here in this ring, she had assumed a limited range in her fighting given her style. She paid for it, but she seemed to be having a good laugh despite the obvious hurt.

“Calling me out on all fronts… yeah okay, I see you now,” She rolled onto her side, fingers pressing into the canvas as she felt her poor choice of grabbing a bite to eat at catering before coming out here gurgling after that impact. Her jaw clenched against the burn of pain and discomfort, old but unwanted friends of hers looking to be let in. “I said if you had wanted a date there were easier ways than getting your ass kicked” she summarized, not recalling her exact wording in the moment, but feeling Kaeo had earned the clarification.

Izzy pushed at the mat, to drag herself up. Her legs trembled as she folded into a seated position, wincing when she tested the range of motion in her back. She didn’t look away from Kaeo, if anything, her eyes narrowed, amused and dangerous at once. "Nice one," she managed through the grit, voice rough. "Lucky for you I like surprises… and I like making people pay for them."

She lurched to her feet more by will than by grace, braced herself, and tightened her guard, ready for whatever the Thai woman wanted to serve next. She looked like she was still shaking off the effects of the big throw, but wasn't about to stall for time to recover. She wasn’t weak. She wasn’t a coward. And whatever pity she was being shown, she could do without it. “Thats fine. I prefer it rough.”

[Misfit_Alien]

After battering Izzy with that slam and quite clearly leaving the woman rattled with her moves and words, Kaeo hopped on her feet, adjusting her trunks and smirking at the woman. Her energy was infectious, to be sure. Strangely enough, the Thai woman was thoroughly enjoying this. Besides, she had to put on a good show anyway, and with an opponent like Izzy, she felt like she could at least make this payday a little fun while earning it. For as infuriating and presumptuous as she could be, the Mexican woman wasn't half-bad a person or a fighter. Annoying, sure, but Kaeo noticed that she had some...admirable qualities...about her as she stole a glance or two while she picked herself up off the mat. "So what-...is calling out the locker room your idea of a pick-up line?" She asked coyly. "Do you happen to take all the girls you like into the ring, or am I just a special case?"

When Izzy responded to her remarks, Kaeo couldn't help but snicker, stifling a laugh under her breath. "Pf-...that sounds like an answer to a question I haven't asked...yet-..." Kaeo said, muttering that last part under her breath after Izzy talked about preferring it 'rough'...food for thought. Still, before thoughts of 'dessert' could fill her mind, the piping hot main course was still staring her down. "Well...if you like it rough, then let's get rough-..."

Before throwing anything at Izzy, Kaeo stepped in closer...and closer...and suddenly-...she SNAPPED forward with a quick 1-2 combination, jabbing and tossing out a lunging straight immediately after, alternating with her hands as she got within range of the Mexican woman. She feinted an overextending hook with her right fist, reaching out and twisting wide with her punch, only to pivot on her feet to try and nail Izzy with a surprise Spinning Back Elbow Strike with her left arm.

[Parker]

Isabella blinked, half-amused, half-entertained by Kaeo’s brazen grin, then shrugged like it was the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re cute when you try to be clever,” she said, voice low and teasing, leaning forward enough that the crowd could hear but not quite close enough to be threatening. “It was some banter, not a mission statement. But…” She gave a small, lazy smile. “Don’t see why not. Seems as good a place as any to find a hookup… you seem to suddenly care an awful lock about my love life Chica. Maybe you shoulda had me go full birthday suit for you as part of your match stipulations, hm, you’d like that?”

The banter barely had time to settle before Kaeo exploded forward. Izzy’s eyes snapped to the Thai woman’s fists and, with the calm of somebody who’d weathered crazier storms, she dipped at the first jab. Her knees bent, weight sliding back, and the jab glanced off her guard, more redirected than dodged.

Kaeo’s left straight came next; Izzy took it on her forearm, folding with the impact just enough to rob the punch of its venom. The strike thudded home but didn’t carry Kaeo clean through, Izzy’s arms pushed in on the other woman’s arm for a heartbeat, cutting the full extension and stealing Kaeo’s space.

That was when the Kaeo went for the flourish: the wide pivot and the spinning back elbow. Izzy read it from the turn of Kaeo’s hips. Instead of stepping back, she surged forward, close, brutal, and immediate, closing the gap with a lunging motion that rode the momentum of Kaeo’s own spin. She hopped up, legs threaded around the other woman’s midsection in one smooth motion, guard opening as she hooked an arm around the other woman's neck from behind where she exposed her back for that brief moment.

Her heels tried to dig in, around Kaeo’s midsection, jamming into anything that would let them aid her sudden cling. While Izzy’s forearms slid up to clasp behind the neck, setting for a hanging rear naked choke. Her chest pressed into Kaeo’s back; she used her legs and a quick, coiling squeeze to try and pull the other woman off balance and use her added weight to drag them forward or sideways to the mat, forcing control with the leverage.

“Too flashy, you’re starting to care enough to perform.” Izzy murmured into Kaeo’s ear, breath warm and mischievous. “Stick with the basics, and you might not embarrass yourself.” Isabella would try to draw in her legs and arms to actually cinch in her holds if Kaeo wasn’t able to stop her.

[Misfit_Alien]

"Because if I'm gonna hook up with a girl that I like, I don't need everyone else to see her naked...I'd want her all to myself." Kaeo said, responding as plainly and earnestly as possible, even if Izzy was being humorous again. Kaeo couldn't help but respond truthfully, but it's not like the rest of the crowd could hear her. Besides, once she had put Izzy down for the count, there's no reason they couldn't honestly explore a night of fun together...it could be Kaeo's treat after she takes home the winning purse payout.

For now, these two had more important things to focus on between all the flirting and banter, as fists continued to fly and feet kept shuffling across the ring's surface, their beautiful dance of fury and grit starting up again as they moved without missing a beat, that rhythm only ever slowing down but never quite disappearing. However, when Kaeo tried to catch Izzy with a Spinning Elbow, the Mexican woman would counter it with a swift Rear Naked Choke, latching onto the Thai woman's back as she wrapped herself around her like a snake, Kaeo feeling her warmth as her body was stretched and squeezed in different places.

She staggered a little from the sudden shift in weight and balance, nearly slipping to the ground a couple of times. Thankfully, she managed to stay upright after planting her feet, trying to keep her breathing steady. Izzy's comments weren't helping in the slightest as she continued to point out another folly in the series of Kaeo's many missteps...only amplifying the embarrassment for the Thai prizefighter, who continued to question why she was acting like this.

"Caring enough? Oh-...s-shut it-..." Kaeo said through strained breaths, already feeling the intensifying pressure of Izzy's arms coiling around her neck, restricting her airways with every passing moment. "C-Chalk it up to you...being so annoyingly fun to talk to...or maybe-...-kgh-...I'll get more money by chatting it up with you and putting on a show-...you tell me-..." She said, trying to ignore and move on from the subject, brushing it off as if that would solve anything or bury the questions circulating through her head. One thing that WOULD assist Kaeo was getting Izzy off her back, literally...

Thinking on her feet, Kaeo began to backpedal, surging backward as she let the weight of Isabella's body lead her and the Mexican woman into the nearest corner, building up as much momentum as possible. By ramming their bodies backward, Kaeo would attempt to SLAM Isabella back-first into the corner to help with shaking her off, hoping that it'd be enough to loosen the woman's grip even a little. If she could, she'd throw Izzy over her shoulder and back onto the canvas, but first she needed to make sure that the feisty woman didn't drag her by the neck in the process...