Crimson Legacy vs. Bambi and Thumper - Odd Man Out

[BlackAkuma]

Arthur paced nearby, watching as Alex recovered on the edge of the ring, both for analytical purposes and to get a good view of her in those tights. Despite her being on the backfoot, he kept his smile smug and smarmy, not the least bit bothered. He’d sparred enough with her to know when she was really rocked and when she was just warming up, and Kyo hadn't even come close to seeing the worst of her yet.

As if to confirm as much, she threw a quick glance his way as she rose, a quick flash of frustration, before she pulled herself all the way up. Kyo, wisely, wasn’t about to give her the space she craved so easily, but that was what she was expecting.

The chop flashed out, hit Alex’s chest and landed with a meaty thwack - but he didn’t get it back, not right away. Instead, she clamped onto it tight, holding the wrist in her arm, while she brought the other and rammed her elbow into the side of his skull, a nasty shot at point blank range.

[Underdoggo]

Alex, it seemed, was a quick learner.

The tall blonde stood at ringside, Kyo was moving in a flash, lunging in, his kendo skills coming to the fore as he lashed out in a perfectly timed forearm chop, his arm slicing like a blade as it struck home into her chest. The blow struck solidly, and Alex grunted from the impact...

...and then clamped her arm over his, trapping it neatly.

It had only dawned on Kyo that he had rushed right into a trap when Alex's forearm slammed against his skull. His head rang from the impact, and he grunted, staggering back, dazed by Alex's brutal counter...

[BlackAkuma]

Alex knew a good hit when she landed one, and that? That was a good hit. She felt the impact through her body as her elbow cracked his jaw, saw his eyes go glassy, utterly stunned. And the best part? She’d never let go of his arm. It was a simple matter to keep hold of him and bring him back, reaching over to capture his head in a front facelock over the ropes, with her still standing on the edge while he was in the ring.

The crowd grew louder, anticipating what was coming next, and she nodded back towards Arthur, just in case he didn’t take the hint. ”Couple steps back.”

Arthur barely had time to move back before Alex drew Kyo’s arm over her shoulder, planted her feet, and lifted him out of the ring, bringing up and over and hold him aloft. She kept him there for a moment, with her precariously balanced on the edge of the ring, before she abruptly turned to the side, kicked her legs out, fell back, and brought his back crashing onto the edge of the ring, executing an Inverted Suplex onto the unforgiving surface.

[Underdoggo]

Kyo's skull was ringing as he staggered back. He had been lulled into a false sense of security earlier, and had walked right into Alex's trap. Already, the blonde was proving to be quite adept at counters. He blinked furiously, shaking his head, trying his best to clear out the dizziness, figuring that Alex was right behind him...

He didn't know how right he was, as suddenly his arm was draped over Alex's shoulder, and he was being lifted off his feet. He had a half second to appreciate just how strong his female opponent was...before he was brought slamming down back-first on the edge of the ring! Despite himself, he cried out as the hard edge of the ring bit into his spine, and he went bouncing over, flopping down hard onto his front.

From her corner, Makie was clinging to the ropes, shouting her brother's name, stunned at the brutal hit he had just taken so soon after tagging in..

[BlackAkuma]

”Fuuuuuuuck.”

Sometimes, Betty forgot just how damn strong her girlfriend was. You’d think she remember it well, they sparred all the time, but there was a big gulf between the power she used on her and the power she used on anyone else, especially when that someone else was a man who could take her best. She could be absolutely brutal when she wanted to be, and Betty was lucky she never wanted to be when dealing with her.

Kyo, of course, got no such saving grace, so it was straight to hell for him, nailing him with a crash that seemed to reverberate through the building. He flopped to the floor below, and Alex was quick to follow him, dropping down at his side, reaching down to grab his hair, and forcing him to stand up.

As soon as his feet were under him, Alex grabbed hold of his wrist, pulled him, and tried to Irish Whip him towards the steel steps at full speed, so fast that Arthur scarcely had time to get out of the way.

[Underdoggo]

Kyo was breathing hard now as Alex picked him up. He was visibly in pain, his movements slow and sluggish after taking the impacts that he had. Alex was almost casually manhandling him now, pulling him to his feet, and whipping him across the floor toward the steps.

Except, at that one crucial moment, Kyo's hands clamped around Alex's wrist, just before she could release him, arresting his movement. Kyo had been taking a beating, but that in no way meant that he was helpless.

If Kyo timed it right, then he would rotate his body and counteŕ-swing Alex towards the steps. And, as a quick follow up, he would charge in her wake: if Alex didn't crash into the steps, he would be ready to come at her with a spinning kick!

[BlackAkuma]

Everything was going well. Had Kyo stunned. Ten seconds to work with him outside of the ring. It might not have seemed like much, but this was the sort of environment that Alex excelled in, where she did her best work. You could do some heavy damage outside of the ring if you maximized your time, and she certainly planned to.

Making him crash into the stairs would’ve been a good place to start, too, but Kyo seemed to have similar ideas, unfortunately. She was in the process of sending him off with an Irish Whip, she felt the telltale shift in his bodyweight. The sudden pull. The positioning of his feet.

She was going for a ride.

Alex was sent into the stairs hard, hitting hard on her knees and flipping over the other side, where she promptly wound up flopping on her butt. She was slow to get up, and Kyo was already charging her way closing in fast…

…that was, until Arthur innocently stepped into his path with his arms raised, pretending to notice Kyo only at the last second. ”Oops.” He put on his most innocent smile, which frankly wasn’t all that innocent. ”Clumsy me.”

[Underdoggo]

If Kyo was honest, Alex had done a real number on him: he was hurting from the impacts, hurting even more from falling out of the ring. It had taken a lot for him to muster the effort to counter her swing. But counter it he had: he had a momentary, fleeting glimpse of the surprise in Alex's eyes before the blonde found her swing reversed, and ended up tumbling with a crash against the ringside steps.

There. A perfect opportunity to capitalize, now that Alex was recovering. Hopping up to his feet, Kyo burst into a charge, running right at Alex, aiming a drop kick her way...

...only for someone else to suddenly move into his path.

"Nani kore?!!" Kyo exclaimed, grabbing onto the bottom rope to anchor himself just in time to avoid a collision. It was the man who had accompanied Alex and Betsy to the ring: he had suddenly wandered into view, smiling innocently. There was a barely disguised malice to that smile that spoke to deliberation. Kyo felt his blood boil: already, this guy was starting to interfere.

"Get out of the way!" he barked at the man, anxiously looking over his shoulder to see what Alex was up to. This close to the man...yes, there was definitely something familiar about him, and it was really bothering Kyo that he couldn't figure out why...

[BlackAkuma]

On the otherside of the stairs, Alex was hurting, having banged her knees on the stairs when she was tumbling over. It wasn’t a serious injury by any means, it might grow into a bruise at the worst, but it was more than she had the time to deal with at the moment. Kyo was the sort of opponent who could make the most out of even a moment’s advantage.

That is why it was a good thing Arthur gave her that moment, creating a quick distraction as he stood between her and Kyo. Alex kept herself low and rubbed her knee, pushing the pain out. Crouched, ready, poised to pounce.

”Gomen.” Arthur bowed and stepped out of the way, which was all the cue Alex needed.

She came rushing back in, hopped on the stair, and leaped towards Kyo with her arm outstretched and swinging, hoping to nail him with a flying lariat before he could react.

[Underdoggo]

Obligingly, and politely, the man stepped out of the way. As he spoke, Kyo detected a heavy British accent layered under that flawlessly spoken Japanese. Something about it added to the uneasy feeling of familiarity, which was proving more and more to be an itch that Kyo simply could not scratch, a fact that vexed him immensely.

Very soon, however, he had more than a relentless itch to deal with, as Alex came springing from behind the man, arm outstretched for a lariat.

"UHGH!" he grunted as Alex's forearm caught him across the chest. The blow was strong enough to knock him onto his back, winding him.. a very bad situation to be in when a tall blonde powerhouse was looming over him...