The Very British Open! (For Acuya & LtLukas)

Gemma knew she was getting her pert little bum handed to her, but there didn't seem to be anything she could do about it. Jessica had rocked her, nearly clear off the opening bell. From there, she'd been the violent' violet's chew toy, getting battered around hard. It was frustrtaing, humiliating to get mangled like a total rookie, but Gemma hadn't found an opening to turn things around, yet. Her eyes and face stinging with tears and the smell of her own blood, however, trying to see that opening was seeming more and more impossible. A fighter that relied on keeping herself moving, Gemma was starting to feel trapped, claustrophobic.

Bounding off the ropes, her body rushing right back into Jessica's waiting grip, Gemma was helpless. She was scooped up easily, the speed she'd built on on the Irish whip being used by great effect by her opponent, to swing her lithe body up through the air and bring her crashing down to the mat with the bridging fallaway slam! The violent violet was a picture of poise, executing the technical maneuver, her voluptuous body poetry in motion. Gemma, meanwhile, saw her body reduced to helpless flailing, right before being planted against the mat.

"Aaaauughhh!" Gemma cried out, as her body was rocked off the mat. Gemma arched her spine after the impact, thrusting her ample chest into the air as she gasped for breathe. The Brit reached out, trying to desperately stretch herself away from her ruthless opponent's grip. At ringside, Holly watched her partner's suffering with tears in her eyes. "Oh, no!" she said, as Gemma was slammed into the mat. "No, nonono ..." she continued, watching the partner she relied on to the be tough one get broken down and dismantled before her quivering eyes.

Jessica did a fist pump. She had more than earned it. Hell, she had probably earned three or four. Gemma had gotten it taken it to her for all of the early going, and there was no denying that. The crowd booed her early celebration. Perhaps it was a tad irresponsible because the match was not nearly over yet, but very few of Jessica's choices could be considered mature. That is how Jessica lived life- in the heat of the moment.

Jessica cast a long glance at her partner. Gemma was fresh meat and River was the gnarliest butcher around. She had been a little bit too soft even. River would have done all sorts of horrid things to the woman, and Jessica cast a glance down at her opponent. Oh yeah, she definitely had enough time.

The Violent Violet began walking towards her lover and partner and comrade in arms. "She is a bit heavier than she looks," Jessica said as she extended her arm to tag River in, "Bet you're gonna throw her just fine though."

Gemma wasn’t unimpressive, Styx could allow that much. She had spunk. She had energy. She was willing to do hardcore matches, which was a big plus in the bald brawler’s book. She could see herself becoming a bit of a fan for the bombshell.

Just not today. Today, she’d made a poor choice, and she had to pay for that poor choice. Speaking of which, it was about Styx’s turn to help with the punishment.

While she would’ve loved to just stand back and watch Jessica work, this wasn’t a handicap match and she had to do her part. She gladly took the tag and jumped in, bounding over the ropes and landing near Gemma with a thunderous crash.

But she didn’t attack Gemma. Not yet.

Instead, she stood nearby and looked down at the young heroine with folded arms and a curious stare. ”Want to tag in your partner?” She nodded towards Holly. ”Go on. I’ll wait.”

That was an utter lie, of course. If Gemma went for Holly, she’d kick her in the chest. If Gemma took more than ten seconds, she’d kick her in the chest. If Gemma tried to attack Styx, well...that would much more interesting.

Gemma was too weak to even think of impeding Jessica, on her way to the ring. The Bombshell had taken more of a beaten, packed into such a short amount of time, than even she had suffered before. On all fours, Gemma fumbled around the ring. Her mask of tears and blood didn't do much for her vision, unfortunately, and her fumbling attempts to find her corner, to make a tag to Holly that could theoretically save the Bombshells, met with pathetic failure.

At ringside, Holly's heart was sinking right to the floor. She watched her partner's suffering with absolute heartbreak, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. And, worse yet, knowing that she was in for the same, if she ever got into the ring. That sense of impending doom went to stomach-churning levels, however, as Holly watched Jessica turn around, and tag River Styx into the match! Holly had been on the receiving end of some rather humiliating moments in her matches, and River's earlier lewd advances convinced the Brit that she would be in for much of the same tonight. Coupled with the fact that River seemed like she could snap both of the Bombshells in half, made Holly's prospects look even more grim! Whimpering softly, Holly couldn't believe she'd let Gemma talk her into this "open challenge" nonsense!

Gemma, meanwhile, was still struggling to get up to her knees. River was looming over her, and the suffering Brit was just barely able to make her out. Gemma grimaced, as River offered to let her tag out. The thought was tempting, considering how badly Jessica had managed to mangle and manhandle her. For a fleeting moment, struggling to stay upright with her arms dangling at her sides, Gemma considered it. However, before she could act on that impulse, the Brit's pride got in the way. Though Jessica had thoroughly trashed her, in these early goings, the white-haired Brit couldn't let herself turn tail and run. Gemma's body was hurting massively, but her pride and ego were just as wounded, to the point of overriding common sense. Balling her fist, Gemma pushed off her knees with her last bit of strength, letting out a loud cry and thrusting upward. The Brit came up to her full height, fixing to plant her bicep across River's chin with a European uppercut!

Now, this was where things got interesting. As much as Styx loved Jessica’s bare knuckle, rough-and-tumble approach to things, she often felt her fellow bruiser could’ve inserted a little more psychology into her methods. There were always so many interesting things you could do before you even threw a punch.

Styx watched Gemma, hands behind her back, wide open, waiting and eager to see what the white-haired wild girl would do. She was a brave thing, but bravery would only get you so far. Had her limits been reached? Did Jessica do too good of a job breaking her down in a short time?

"Come on..." Styx leaned over a little further, speaking like a mother watching her child's first steps. "You can do it."

Styx’s answer came in the form a flashing European Uppercut.

The blow came out quick and fierce - not the hardest thing Styx ever had to tank, but the sheer alacrity of the move made up for what it lacked in other areas. She’d thought an attack was possible, but hadn’t expected it to come so fast or furious. The crazy shot cracked her across the jaw and made her stumble, giving Gemma a golden second of opportunity while she regained her senses.

Gemma could hear Styx's condescending encouragement, but tried to push it out of her mind. All she wanted now was to survive, to lash out and keep herself in this match. When the European uppercut hit, the crowd came alive. When Gemma saw Styx stumbling back, she could hardly believe her eyes. The Brit spread her feet wide, clearly rocking on her boots, struggling to stay upright. But she'd managed a hit, which was more than she'd done thus far!

At ringside, Holly cheered loudly. "Come on, Gemma!" she cried out, just as shocked as everyone else at her partner's sudden resurgence. "Take her down a peg!" The moment was a big one for Holly, too. Her breath catching in her throat, Holly let herself believe that, despite appearances, their opponents were fallible. They still had a chance!

Gemma knew she couldn't mess about too much, however. Blood sweat and tears still wet on her face, Gemma feared it wouldn't take much for Styx to finish her off. Still, Gemma had a moment, and she had to try and take it. Leaning back, the Brit squared her hips. Once in position, Gemma thrust a kick forward, aiming high to try and plant a boot right into Styx's jaw, hoping to take the bigger woman down hard!

Gemma’s blow had surprising force behind it, but it was nothing compared to the smack Styx would've given herself if she had the chance to. Should've seen that blow coming a mile away. Gemma’d either gotten lucky or she’d gotten unlucky, but either way, the result was the same: an opening that would likely be exploited.

Styx expected Gemma to use that opening for a tag, get herself out and take a breather. Instead, what she got when she turned around was a boot in the jaw.

The blow hit square and fair, making Styx take another step back. The first hit had hurt, but that one had really hurt, and Styx would need a second to recover from it.

But only a second. She was already starting to turn back around, with a hardened grimace on her face...

Jessica had settled in. She never really calmed down, especially not with River out there fighting the good fight, but she hadn't bounded over the ropes yet. She felt tempted to when Gemma got her uppercut in, and it took all the restraint in the world when River got hit with blow number two. She gripped the top rope like she wanted to strangle it. Her eyes were wide as she watched the action unfold.

Her anarchist friend knew what she was doing, and the Violent Violet hung back. She would trust her, just as she had a thousand times before. Jessica was still breathing pretty hard though, and her heart was thumping as if she were the one in the middle of the ring.

"Rip her fucking head off!" Jessica's words of encouragement came loudly.

The crowd popped in cheers, as Gemma landed a second blow. Still swaying on spaghetti legs, the Brit barely managed to keep herself standing, but she felt it was more than worth it to pay at least one of their opponents back, for what they'd put her through. After all the abuse she'd eaten, it felt good to give some back, felt good to hear the blow echo through the arena. Lifting her head, Gemma expected to see the fruits of her labor ... and was shocked to see Styx still standing, looking more fierce than ever.

Jaw slack, eyes wide open, Gemma stared for a moment at the fiercely glaring competitor. Jessica's screamed threat was the final straw. In a mad dash, like a frightened rabbit, Gemma threw herself at her corner, flailing wildly to make the tag. Her hand slapped down hard on Holly, leaving a red mark on the fair-skinned Bombshell!

Holly's jaw hit the mat at about the same time that Gemma's body did. While the Air Raid Siren rolled out of the ring, Holly felt betrayed. She'd been petrified on the sidelines; Gemma had done everything she could, and desperately needed rest. Gemma's body fell unceremoniously to the floor, in a heap. Holly, unfortunatley, had been pysched out by Styx before the opening. Shaking slightly, Holly looked into the ring like a deer in the headlights. Unfortunately, the ref kept waving her in, insisting that there had been a tag, and the match needed to continue.

Timidly, Holly stepped through the ropes. Taking a fighting stance, the Brit swallowed hard, and did her best to stare Styx down. The girl failed utterly, to hide the fear in her eyes. "A-all right, you," she stammered, voice quivering, "you're in for it, now!" Holly held her ground, trying to look ready, hoping that Styx wouldn't discern that she had no clue of what she could do, against the fierce-looking woman!

Styx was starting to get pissed off. Not a good thing for anyone in the immediate vicinity.

She’d taken two hits in a row now, one more than she was willing to put up with in a match like this. This was a hardcore fight, after all, and she took pride in dominating that division, even if she was banned from doing singles competition with it until Adrian lost her title. She was not losing, and she’d gladly show Gemma exactly what that was.

If Gemma was in the ring. Which she wasn’t.

Styx cursed as her prey managed to make a temporary escape, tagging in the fresh Holly. Annoying. She’d wanted to continue the work Jessica had done, keep grinding the platinum blonde down to a nub. Wasn’t going to happen. She’d just have to make do.

Styx brought her glare back to Holly and narrowed her eyes, zeroing in on her terrified target. Holly was the stockier one between her and Gemma by a wide margin - not ‘fat’, by any definition, but she had the child-bearing hips. Styx was still far bigger and heavier than her, but she had just enough size to hurt if she applied it in the proper way.

She just had to make sure it never came to that point, which she would do in her, brutal way.

Styx only stared at Holly for a moment before going on the attack, wordlessly stomping towards her new target. She lashed out with a wide right hook, going for the Britain’s chest - sloppy, inelegant, wild, but damaging if it hit.