Gambit's Gamble! Gambit vs Mariza!

[SubtleRoar]

*As embarrassing as her current condition was, Gambit had survived much worse and lived to tell the tale. However, this certainly wasn't ideal for her any way she sliced it, and the instant the pain had began to subside, she started to trudge forward in an effort to regain the momentum she had so abruptly lost from that irritatingly devastating kick to her gut! Within a matter of what felt like seconds though, Marizia was upon her, ensnaring her neck within a menacing choke while the bayou bunny had a condensed window of time to react to such a bold maneuver, forming her hands into fists to try and persuade the italian ingrate to cease her attack immediately!*

Spoiler

"HRRRKK! G..geefff...o..offah..m..meee!" *Her words slightly slurred due to her face semi-pressed against Mariza's body, namely her cleavage, the raging cajun squirmed within her tightening grip while swaying her body from side to side- She thought that a little momentum building was in order, and if she was consistent enough to generate some movement, perhaps it would gradually break the hold Mariza had latched around her neck. This, of course, had a dangerous downside to it- The more she moved, the more energy she squandered, potentially leaving her more winded than she previously was!*

[CaptainL]

"Never-!" Marzia shouted in defiance, her teeth clenched and her body tense. She wasn't going to yield to her opponent, even as she tried to beg for mercy. Marzia would, however, start to feel one thing - with her head being contorted in such a motion, Gambit was starting to pant for breath, and with her head where it was, that breath was coming hot and fast right up against the side of Marzia's breast. Realizing then and there what was going on, the Italian loosened up a little bit, distracted as her face flushed red. "A-Ahh..?" she muttered in confusion.

But by then, it was too late, as Gambit was already starting to struggle - and combined with her mind being elsewhere, it wouldn't take Gambit much trouble to pull herself free from the hold. She may have been winded in the process, but for now, she was free.

[SubtleRoar]

*Visibly disgruntled form the current position she was stuck in, Gambit's vigorous struggling proved to be far more fruitful than she had anticipated, allowing her plenty of wiggle room for what she was plotting to execute. The instant she felt Mariza's grip begin to loosen, the bayou bunny hastily secured her arms around the slender woman's hips, latching her right wrist across her opposite hand before bending her knees and hoisting the petite woman upwards, before subsequently slamming her backwards for a devastating back suplex!*

Spoiler

"T..take THAT!" *Gambit shouted, nearly breathless from the physical ordeal of heaving the female with so much zeal in her movement. The momentary silence eventually led to the referee to begin the three count, all the while the audience gasped at what had just transpired!*

"One..." *He began, indicating that a pin had officially been made, as unorthodox as it may have seemed. Gambit, however, was obstinate on remaining firm with this maneuver, determined to show this overconfident brat precisely who the superior woman truly was!*

[CaptainL]

With Marzia's mind wandering, the Italian girl wouldn't notice that her grip on Gambit was growing looser than she would have liked it to be. Eventually, she would notice that Gambit seemed more mobile than she would have reckoned for a position like this - and by then, it was too late. Marzia looked over, preparing herself to react, only to be greeted by a swift slam backwards into the mat, causing her to cry out in surprise and pain alike as her shoulders impacted with the canvas and sent her sputtering. And not just that, but Gambit was going for the pin as well!

Marzia had to admit - she had underestimated her opponent at first. Her getup and theatrics seemed to be more at home on a show stage than in the ring, but more than being bewildered by it, Marzia was angry by how the gambler had taunted her before the match began, belittling her and questioning her skill. She had been driven by a desire to prove her wrong, to show her that she had a chance. And, Marzia would have to admit, she might have let that desire blind her somewhat. She had been so preoccupied with trying to win at all costs that she had made some risky moves, and she was paying for them - like now.

"Two!"

But she was going to have to make a change. She couldn't get away with that, and it wasn't going to end well for her if she started to pretend that it could. Despite being on the defensive, Marzia had seen that Gambit had enough reason to boast. She was proving herself to be worthy as a combatant, and an opponent. Marzia wouldn't get by on just trying to punish her. She needed to be aware of all the things that she could do, and what she was capable of, just as she would any other. And just as she would herself.

"Thr-"

Just then, right as the three-count was about to hit, Marzia acted. With one leg, she would summon the strength to kick out of the pin. And then, with the other leg, she'd bring it down hard in a kick into Gambit, whilst in this position!

[SubtleRoar]

*This was it, Gambit thought, having so easily dispatched yet another nameless jobber in front of the thousands in attendance. There was absolutely nothing else like it on earth- Establishing her unequivocal dominance over such a feeble, inferior opponent while showcasing her profound skill was something that the bayou bunny lived for, something she thrived upon. As the seconds ticked by, she could feel her heart continuing to thunder within her supple chest, and just before she could explode with excitement for yet another triumphant night, the unthinkable happened~*

"W...WHAT??!!?!" *She felt Mariza's dead weight of a body flail just hard enough to disrupt her balance, causing the raging cajun to flounder sideways from the unprecedented burst of energy. However, before the livid rabbit had the opportunity to chide the presiding moderator for his gross ineptitude, Gambit felt a sharp, splitting pain against her ribs, causing her to roll sideways and attempt to escape Mariza's striking range.*

"Gghhh...d..damn it..." *The stinging pain tantamount to daggers piercing her supple skin, the drained hare attempted to compose herself in a nearby corner, gathering what little energy she could to try and stabilize her aching body, but not without acknowledging the impressive tenacity her opponent was displaying.*

"N..not bad squirt.." *She gasped out, still visibly winded from the merciless shot the pipsqueak landed on her. While they were by no means close compatriots, the earlier mockery of Mariza's skill had fallen to the wayside, allowing Gambit to replace it with just a tincture of respect.*

[CaptainL]

The clock was ticking, and Marzia only had a few seconds to act. She wasn't about to let herself be counted out this early in the match - if she did, she knew, she would never forgive herself for it. She was going to have to give this her all, taking it as seriously as she could. It was how she approached all her matches, and this would have to be no exception to that.

Summoning forth all her strength in the last minute, emboldened by the rush of adrenaline, Marzia kicked her way out of the pin, shaking her leg clean of her opponent's arm. It threw Gambit off her game, that much Marzia could readily witness as the gambler screamed in rage. That would soon be followed with one of pain, as Marzia knew where to take things from here. Without shifting her position, being in a position where she could naturally follow up the strike, Marzia swung her other leg downward, driving her ankle into Gambit's ribs and causing her to back off from her. Creating the distance between the two, Marzia then rose onto her feet, huffing under her breath as she dusted herself off.

Gambit went to the corner to recollect her bearings, and Marzia looked up at her from across the ring, the two women briefly locking eyes with one another. At first, the Italian huffed from under her breath, narrowing her brows towards Gambit with a glare. But to her surprise, Gambit wasn't throwing more taunts in her direction. It seemed that, despite the frustration she felt from her near victory, she was starting to...actually show an appreciation for what Marzia was capable of.

A blush came to Marzia's cheek for a moment as she regarded this, but soon she gave a slight nod. It was now time, she knew, for the two of them to join up again, and she would be the one to initiate it, now that she knew the two were on equal terms. "A-All right..." she said, starting to close in and offering a test of strength.

[SubtleRoar]

*It was an enormous pill for her to swallow, but Gambit had to accept the reality of her predicament- Not only was Mariza capable of holding her own within the squared circle, but even the Bayou Bunny's best efforts were seemingly brushed aside by the unwavering resiliency the indomitable italian had on full display. Shooting the miniature mauler a respectful grin, Gambit tacitly accepted her generous offer to lock up in the center of the ring, eager to test the limits of her intriguing adversary.*

Spoiler

"Grrhh..h..hope you know what you're doing, shortie!" *Gambit roared in her general direction before fiercely intertwining her fingers within Mariza's, attempting to push her backwards with each, subsequent step forward while trying to reassert her dominance.* "I'm almost twice your size, three times your skill level, and of course, ten times the woman you are!" *She shouted, attempting to plow forward in a display of unprecedented power.*

*While the action within the ring was more than enough to captive even the most casual observer, the elated fans that were privileged enough to witness it unfurl live were on the edge of their seats, captivated by the brilliant display of wrestling prowess, and a ruckus was beginning to make itself known within the audience!*

"Keep it up! Keep it up!" *They ubiquitously chanted, eager to support their favored wrestler to emerge victorious over the other, and given the current state of things, it was essentially anyone's game!*

[CaptainL]

As she took Gambit's hands, returning her lockup in the center of the ring, Marzia looked up at her foe, and she couldn't help but gulp a little, her hands trembling ever so slightly in her grip. As much as Marzia was determined to put forth the best fight she could and last it out, proving her strength to Gambit and to the crowd alike...well, she couldn't really contest what Gambit said. She really was considerably larger than the Italian, and Marzia didn't doubt that she would have more skill than her rookie self. As for the last part, Marzia was unaware what the SI unit for womanliness was, but regardless, Gambit certainly did have the edge in respect to combat. Something Marzia would soon feel, as she felt herself starting to be bent back against the excessive force of Gambit's surge forward, causing her to skid a short distance away on her heels.

Marzia tried to hold out, sucking in a breath and pushing herself forward to try and counteract Gambit's own efforts, but she knew full well that the resistance she put up would be limited by necessity; she was, after all, the clear underdog of the two - and looking too closely at Gambit's well-built musculature was intimidating, not to mention conducive to butterflies in her stomach - she was going to try and ignore that. But Marzia usually found herself the underdog in matchups like these. And it hadn't made her ever want to give up before, because she knew she just had to throw herself at the wall and try her best.

Knowing that her push couldn't last forever, Marzia decided to try and feint Gambit out in the hopes of shaking off her hold. She would let go of her with one hand, going to make a fist and swinging it for the air near the gambler's head. She didn't intend it to hit; only for Gambit to take her attention off the test of strength even for a few seconds.

[SubtleRoar]

*Fully acknowledging that she was the superior individual in terms of raw power, Gambit had to close the distance between her opponent and the nearby pillar fast- Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to catch the Italian woman between herself and an inescapable object. However, just as she was about to kick it into high gear and overpower the diminutive Marize, it seemed as though she was a few steps ahead of her, trying to catch the Bayou Bunny with a blow to her dome! She wasn't about to fall for that, immediately disengaging and evading the shot with an artful dodge in the opposite direction.*

"Hah, oh no you don't!" *She remarked, a rather haughty smirk stretching from ear to ear, unwittingly having extricated herself from an incredibly auspicious position against her adversary.* "I'm just too smooth for you to land a hit on, tiny~" *She nonchalantly shrugged, snickering at Mariza's feeble attempt at striking the elusive hare while beginning to hop on the balls on her feet to generate a sliver of momentum within her step.*

"I think it's time I taught you a bit about my furious footwork, wouldn't you agree?" *Her rhetorical question promptly followed by a lunging kick towards the little lady's body, Gambit attempted to land a solid blow against Mariza's facial region that would undoubtedly buckle the infinitesimal wrestler, thereby allowing the raging cajun to be thrusted back into the spotlight once again!*

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

Marzia's punch whiffed through the air, just as planned. What wasn't as according to plan was how Gambit didn't seem all that bothered by it. She didn't flinch, merely breaking from the test of strength and taunting the Italian about her aim - and it got on Marzia's nerves, as evident by the rookie clenching her teeth as her eyes narrowed in a steely glare at Gambit. But she was quick to bite her lip and try to put the irritation out of her head. It wasn't going to do her any favors if she lost her cool; that was what had gotten her into this mess to begin with. Rather, she was going to focus on how getting out of the lockup had staved off a worse fate, as Gambit's superior strength and experience would no doubt have given her an edge.

Taking in a breath, Marzia put down her shoulder and charged in ahead, hoping to deliver a running tackle towards Gambit's stomach. Alas, it wasn't to be, as Gambit struck out at the same time, her kick connecting straight with her head! Crying out in pain, Marzia fell back to a seated position on the mat, clutching her face and trying to stave off the ache she felt.