The Idol’s Challenge - Amika vs ??

[The_Queen]

Amika offered almost no resistance as Bandita rolled her onto her back. Her hair spread messily across the canvas without its bow, teal eyes blinking slowly as she tried to focus on the luchadora above her. Every breath reminded her just how thoroughly Bandita had controlled the last several minutes.

Bandita quickly covered her for the pin, pressing Amika's shoulders firmly against the canvas while trapping one of her legs. At first, Amika barely reacted. Her chest rose and fell heavily beneath Bandita's weight, arms resting weakly at her sides as the noise of the audience seemed strangely distant. Then Bandita whispered into her ear.

No one out there is ever gonna think you're weak.

Amika's eyes opened a little wider just as the referee's hand struck the mat. "ONE!" Her fingers curled against the canvas, but otherwise she remained trapped underneath Bandita. She had dreamed about this debut for months. She'd trained until she could barely stand, taken every failure as another reason to keep going, and walked into LAW tonight promising everyone that she would prove she belonged here. Bandita had overwhelmed her, certainly—but Amika wasn't ready for her first match to end yet.

"TWO!"

Amika clenched her teeth and planted her free boot firmly against the mat as the referee's hand rose for the final count. Despite everything Bandita had put her through, there was still plenty of fight left beneath the aches running through her body. She waited until the last possible instant before pushing hard through her planted foot and twisting her hips, throwing one shoulder decisively off the canvas.

"NNGH!"

The pin broke just before three. Amika rolled onto her side and immediately planted a forearm beneath herself, taking a few deep breaths as she began pushing herself back up rather than collapsing. She was hurting—that much was obvious—but the kickout seemed to breathe some life back into her. Her teal eyes found Bandita again, and instead of the exhausted expression from moments earlier, a small, stubborn grin worked its way across Amika's face. "...Still here."

[CyanDimitrik]

It wasn't often that Bandita wrestled girls smaller than her. Usually about the same size, similar build, but.. smaller? It's a little exciting. She knows Amika isn't delicate, not really. But there's something akin to that feeling she's realizing as she's holding her down, lying over her. And it's only when the referee slaps the mat for the second count that she starts to be able to put a word to the feeling: powerful. She feels strong. Certainly she could overpower most of her classmates after she'd been training as a wrestler, and she never feels weak, but... having a size advantage over another girl like this?

It's kind of a thrill.

She remains contently pressed into Amika's body, waiting for the third count. But to her surprise, there's a sudden burst of effort beneath her. She's thrown to her knees, looking down at the idol with wide-eyed surprise.

"No pin!," announces the referee. "Two-count!"

The eyes hood again, and she casts a wry smile back at the brunette. A quiet chuckle escapes her, and her head tilts. A few wispy black bangs drift over her left eye. "Yeah ya are. Let's see what'chu can really take, ah?" That determined look on the idol's face is fetching. Some might think the fact that Amika is roughed up might take away from her look, but for Bandita? It just enhances things; a bright pair of aquamarines shining through the pain and fatigue.

Without waiting further, Bandita rocks back onto her boots and reaches low, hooking her hands beneath the idol's shoulders. She draws her up to her feet and sharply spins her around to face away from her before leaning in, lowering her knees. Her left arm reaches for Amika's jaw, the other hand slipping between her legs to guide her back across her shoulders. With a huff of effort, Bandita pops to her full height again, hoisting Amika across her shoulders in a torture rack!

She wouldn't be able to explain why she felt suddenly inspired to do a move she's had very, very little practical experience with! But the reality is, she wants to explore more of that euphoric feeling of overpowering her.

"Haaaahh!"

With Amika's waist propped behind her neck, one hand hooking under the girl's jaw, and the other hand squeezing her thigh just beneath her hips, Bandita begins pumping with her to send shockwaves of pain along her ribs and spine. The muscletone of her own bared thighs flex with each bob, the streamlined definition along her arms popping as she pulls down in punishing beats.

The referee closes in quickly to watch for a submission! "Do you give up!?"

[The_Queen]

Amika's stubborn grin disappeared the moment Bandita hauled her back to her feet. She was still trying to get her footing underneath herself when the luchadora spun her around, dipped low, and suddenly lifted.And thanks to the major difference in weight and height, her opponent found it fairly easy to do so.

"W-Whoa!"

Amika found herself stretched across Bandita's shoulders, one arm securing her upper body while the other controlled her leg. Her eyes widened as she recognized the torture rack just before Bandita began wrenching down.

"Nnngh...!"

The pressure immediately ran through Amika's back and ribs, forcing her to tense as Bandita repeatedly bounced her across her shoulders. The referee quickly moved alongside them and asked for a submission, but Amika shook her head without hesitation. "No!"

It hurt, but not nearly as badly as Bandita might have hoped. Years of dancing followed by wrestling training had left Amika remarkably flexible, and the bend Bandita was forcing her into wasn't completely unfamiliar territory. More importantly, the hold gave Amika something she hadn't been afforded much of so far: time to think.

Rather than wasting energy trying to simply squirm free, Amika twisted her upper body toward Bandita's head. She pulled against the hand controlling her jaw to create a little space, then raised her free arm and drove her elbow down toward Bandita's upper shoulder. A second elbow followed, this one aimed closer toward the side of the luchadora's head, with Amika immediately drawing her arm back for another.

"Hah! Hah!"

Each strike came with more urgency as Amika continued twisting across Bandita's shoulders, deliberately making herself harder to balance. Her legs kicked and shifted in the opposite direction while her elbow continued hammering downward, trying to force Bandita to break the torture rack, and maybe even give Amika a chance to come back.

[CyanDimitrik]

The feeling was exhilarating! And it had been so long since she lifted an opponent into this position that she'd forgotten how much fun it was! Feeling Amika's weight evenly distributed across her shoulders, hearing her suffering in the hold - albeit not the screams she might've been shooting for! - and knowing the cameras are flashing to immortalize the moment, it all felt so savage, so intoxicating! Ah, if only she were one of the big girls who could do this kind of thing on the regular!

In her personal life, Bandita has been victimized by bullies for more than her fair share. Without the mask, the Latina often comes across as a shy wallflower, maybe even a little nerdy. But right now, she feels like the bully. But in a weirdly acceptable way, in a way that's fair and justified. In a way that hopefully Amika won't hate her for later! Because what is professional wrestling if not the push and pull of physical dominance asserted over the battered and beaten body of a rival? ...That makes sense, right? She's going with that. Tonight, one of them is going to end the match lying atop the other, pinning her down in front of thousands of people. And even with Amika being sweet as she seems to be, Bandita intends to claim that victorious position!

The referee continues to hover, just in case the pain ramps up beyond what Amika can tolerate! "Tap if you need to submit!," she instructs, patting her right hand into her left palm. People sometimes forget how it works when they're either new, or in too much pain to think straight!

Bandita can support her weight for days, she figures. And the cameras are loving every second of it. The rookie ex-idol wracked across the bandit's shoulders, imperiled. Bandita's body flexed, the contours of her muscletone highlighted in a thin sheen of sweat from biceps to defined abdominal region, to thighs. Every painful jostling reaffirms the hold, sends another shockwave along Amika's waist and back...

An elbow! It thumps into Bandita's shoulder, causing the girl to falter slightly on that side in surprise. The next shot lands with more impact, nailing the side of her head. "Ah!" She tries to jerk her head out of the way, the bouncing paused a moment. But another shot comes down! Then another! With her head being beaten, Bandita staggers down to a knee on the mat, her grip releasing Amika to let her slide over her head and likely to her feet. Her left eye squeezed shut in pain, a hand raised to rub against the buffeted side of her head.

[The_Queen]

The moment Bandita's grip finally loosened, Amika slipped forward over her opponent's shoulders. Her boots struck the canvas somewhat awkwardly, forcing her to stumble a couple of steps away before catching herself. One hand immediately went over to comfort her lower back, the lingering ache from the torture rack making itself very known, but Amika stayed upright.

But the same couldn’t be said for Bandita.

Amika turned and found the wrestler down on one knee, one hand rubbing the side of her head after the repeated elbows. For the first time in what felt like forever, Bandita wasn't already moving into another attack. Amika finally had an opening, and she wasn't about to waste it.

She pushed through the soreness and rushed forward.

Amika planted one boot against Bandita's raised thigh, using it as a step to launch herself upward. Her body twisted sharply in midair, the years of dancing and flexibility showing as her other leg whipped around in a fast arc. With Bandita still recovering, Amika aimed the side of her boot directly toward the side of the luchadora's head with a sudden step-up enzuigiri.

"Hyaaah!" Amika screamed while praying in her head for this attack to make contact to her opponent’s head.

[CyanDimitrik]

Bandita had hoped there'd be more time to get back into the match. She only needed a few seconds to clear the daze! But a few seconds wasn't what she had, as it turned out!

With her gaze centered on Amika, noting her nursing her lower back, Bandita wasn't too concerned just yet. That changed when the spritely ex-idol rushed her. Just that quickly, Bandita's focus shifted from offense to defense, instantly latching onto the idea of popping her into the air and bringing her back down in a spinebuster! She just needs her to commit to the charge, to think she's going to bullrush her down to the mat--

--nope.

The moment a boot plants to her upturned thigh, the luchadora's eyes widen. "Ah--!" Amika steps up onto her and whips herself over. Bandita had a hand up, but it was far from enough to prevent the blasting impact of the kick from hammering into her skull. The WHACK rings out in the arena, forcing the girl's head to turn sharply. And with her vision flashing into a blanket of white, her body gives out.

Bandita hits the mat on her shoulder and limply rolls over onto her back. Her expression is blank at first, eyes mostly lidded but for small, heavily lash-covered slits staring dully up at the blaring overhead lights. Her arms rest on the mat, spread low. One leg lies outstretched, the other flopped to the side and bent at the knee. Her breathing has hastened, chest rising and falling more noticeably against her faux-vest and bandeau ring gear, her bare midsection showing off trim abdominal definition more clearly with each exhale.

[The_Queen]

The impact sent a jolt all the way up Amika's leg. She came down from the enzuigiri without much grace, landing on her hands and one knee before quickly twisting around to see what damage she'd managed to do to her opponent.

Bandita toppled onto her shoulder and rolled onto her back.

For a second, Amika simply stared. After spending so much of the match being thrown around, trapped in holds, and struggling to create even a little breathing room, seeing Bandita flat on the canvas almost caught her by surprise. Then the audience erupted around them, and Amika's wrestling instincts finally caught up.


Seizing the opportunity in front of her, the former idol pushed herself upright, though the earlier punishment made the process slower than she would've liked. Her lower back still ached from the torture rack and her stomach hadn't forgotten those repeated strikes in the corner, but there was a noticeable difference in her now. She wasn't dragging herself around the ring anymore. Adrenaline had taken over, and with Bandita finally grounded, that familiar energetic spark was beginning to return.

"Okay... my turn!"

Amika moved toward Bandita quickly, but for once resisted the temptation to immediately attempt something flashy. Her opponent looked thoroughly dazed from the kick, and every second Amika spent showing off would be another second Bandita had to recover. Her trainers had drilled that lesson into her enough times that even Amika knew when to listen.

She dropped beside Bandita and immediately went for the cover.

Amika threw herself across Bandita's upper body, pressing her weight down while reaching across to secure the far shoulder. She hooked one of Bandita's legs behind the knee and pulled it upward, trying to make the luchadora work harder if she wanted to escape. It was Amika's first pin attempt of her LAW career, and she wasn't treating it like a throwaway cover.

The referee quickly dropped beside them, checking Bandita's shoulders before raising a hand. Amika tightened the hook on the leg and leaned farther into the cover, teal eyes fixed anxiously on the referee as the hand came down.

"ONE!"

The slap against the canvas was nearly drowned out by the audience counting along. Amika held the cover firmly, waiting to see whether her sudden comeback had been enough to keep Bandita down.

[CyanDimitrik]

Bandita's mind was a hazy blur of incoherent thoughts. There was the need to get up, but to also make sure her mask was still in place. She needed to protect herself, but also get away at the same time. She needed to know where Amika was, but also figure out where she was at that moment.

The familiar feel of the ring's mat against her back was grounding. And it's that sensation that started to pull her back to focus. Not somewhere she ever wanted to be, but she'd spent enough time there for it to be ingrained into muscle memory.

"Nngh..."

It's a quiet groan, the thundering ache of recent head trauma flooding into her consciousness. It manifests only in a subtle turn of her head, the eyes squeezing shut. Then, the sudden added weight of a body dropping across hers. "Unh-!" The unfortunately familiar sensation of being pinned beneath someone, the feel of being physically held down. It's one part exciting, two parts dread - there's a thrill in the rawness of the competition, a rush in feeling the struggle. Her breath hastens, shifting herself against Amika's figure.

Her shoulders are pinned down to the mat. Her bare leg is hooked, drawn up alongside her body easily - a testament to her own flexibility. The knee hangs limply in Amika's grasp, and the idol enjoys a comfortable and unopposed one-count.

The reverberation of the hand striking mat lanced through her nerves. Her heart began to race a little faster.

The referee's hand strikes the mat a second time! "TWO!"

That count shot through her like a lightning bolt. Bandita's captive leg tensed and thrust outward, and Bandita's body jerked firmly in Amika's direction, pulling her shoulder up off the mat to break the pin!

"Gah!"

The Latina lay there, potentially tucked against Amika's figure for a few extra seconds. "You.. kick hard..," she says between breaths.

[The_Queen]

The force of Bandita's kickout pushed Amika off-center, forcing her to plant a hand against the canvas to keep herself from rolling away entirely. She looked toward the referee almost instinctively, catching the two-count before turning back to Bandita. Close, but Amika didn't allow herself to dwell on it.

Bandita's breathless compliment earned a grin from her. "Thanks!" Amika replied, breathing heavily herself. "I've been practicing."

More importantly, Bandita was still down and recovering. Amika had finally earned control of the match, and after everything the luchadora had put her through, she wasn't about to give her enough time to reset.

Amika quickly grabbed Bandita by the wrist and shoulder, pulling the dazed luchadora upward with her as she rose. Instead of creating distance for another kick, Amika stayed close, keeping hold of Bandita's arm as she maneuvered around her side. This was where she was most comfortable—turning one position directly into another before her opponent could figure out what she was planning.

Once Bandita was upright enough, Amika slipped one leg over and around the luchadora's near thigh, hooking herself onto her opponent while pulling Bandita's captured arm across her own body. Her other arm reached around Bandita's head, attempting to secure her positioning before Amika twisted sideways into an octopus stretch.

"Nngh...!"

Amika leaned into the hold, using her flexibility to wrap herself tightly around Bandita rather than relying on strength alone. One leg remained hooked around Bandita's thigh to interfere with her balance while Amika pulled on the trapped arm and bent her opponent sideways, trying to stretch her through the torso and shoulder.

The referee immediately moved closer to check on Bandita, but Amika kept adjusting her position, determined not to let her slip free easily. After spending so much of the match trapped in Bandita's holds, the energetic spark that Amika had at the start had fully returned to those teal eyes.

[CyanDimitrik]

Bandita was hoping for a little reprieve; just a few more moments to collect herself. She'd hoped Amika would've been wanting to recover a little more, herself! But the girl seemed to mirror Bandita's own energetic nature, as well as her desire to keep the match flowing.

Her arm and shoulder are taken, and the luchadora is drawn up to her feet again. Her balance isn't quite there yet, more under Amika's control than she'd prefer, and kept at a slightly bent posture before the ex-idol takes advantage of the situation. Being on the receiving end of one of these entangling submission holds is always a confusing affair, not being able to see what the other person is doing. All she can do is go by feel - and what she feels is Amika's torso stretching out across her back, her legs tangling with her, the captive arm now suddenly wrenching back. Bandita's stance widens suddenly to try to keep her balance as she's twisted to the side, struggling to keep upright.

"AAAAHHH!" Eyes screwed shut again, mouth hung open as her body is twisted, the pained cry ripping through the stadium.

"Do you submit!?"

Bandita desperately shakes her head, scattering her bangs. "N-no!"

Her arm struggles to pull forward against the restraint, but all of the leverage is in Amika's favor. Her fingers ball into a fist, flexing before uncurling again in a tremble.

"Tap if you submit!"

"Aahn! I don't!"

Bandita shakes her head again firmly. Her arm and waist burns simultaneously under the strain, but for now, the teenager appears trapped! Cameras flash all around them, the sea of shadows surrounding the ring alive with glittering shutter pinpoints. Her head drops forward, ponytail falling over her shoulder and teeth clamping together.