Showdown '19: Riza Hawkeye vs Army Rodriguez Best of 5 Match Series Finale: Last Person Standing Match

In truth, Riza wasn't sure how she was still standing. Her body was a mess of bruises, her back was a wreck of pain and fire...and yet she was still standing on her feet. A proper second wind, or her dying gasp, the next few moments would tell.

She had nailed Armando with her signature knee strike, but thanks to the turnbuckle being nearby, he hadn't been taken out, and was still moving, looking for all the world like he was about to get back up to his feet. She couldn't allow that. If he got back up, got back on the offensive...there was no way she could stop him. She was tired, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her body...one more. She only had enough in the tank for one more move, before she'd collapse.

Better make it count.

Backing up into the opposite turnbuckle, Hawkeye let out a loud roar of defiance and aggression, before putting all her remaining strength and energy into one last charge, running full steam at the seated Army, and, upon reaching him, throwing her knee forward, trying to smash his face between her knee and the turnbuckle with a second Hawks Talon!

Army was in big trouble. He knew he was in big trouble. His entire body knew it, right down to the cells. He was still conscious after taking that knee to the face, but just barely. His vision was filled with stars, blurry and warbling, like a camera off its focus. He couldn’t even hear right, with the world around him blurring into a mishmash of cheers and boos and screams.

Where was Hawkeye? Seriously, where the fuck was she?

He could feel her feet approaching, but he couldn’t center his vision, couldn’t get his hands up for a weak defense, couldn’t do anything until-

Just like that, it was over. Army felt an impact on his face for a second, and then everything went dark. Back in the waking world, his body rocked back, then fell forward, coming down flat on the canvas, lying perfectly still. The count was a formality at this point, but that didn’t stop the referee from beginning the count. ”1!”

Hawkeye, immediately after hitting the second Hawks Talon, sinking her knee into Armys face, she fell to the side, collapsing.

She was done, spent completely. She had nothing left to give in her body, in what had been the hardest match of her entire career. Behind her, Armys body slid down to the mat, as the referee started the count.

"2!"

"3!"

"4!"

"5!"

"6!"

Those 4 seconds seemed to crawl on, before Hawkeye finally reached out for the ropes, grabbing the middle rope and pulling her exhausted body up, needing to get on her feet before the 10 count.

Was Army still down? Were they both getting counted out, or was it just her? What if he was already on his feet, ready to take her down again?

"7!"

"8!"
"9!"

With a final cry of effort, the blonde woman, leaning all her weight against the ropes, her legs shaking and trembling, got her feet under her, forced herself to stand up straight, despite how much her body did NOT want to do so. Now upright, she clutched the ropes tightly, hoping she wasn't about to be attacked from behind and that Army wouldn't beat the count!

”10!

That was the first thing Army heard when he woke, and he barely heard it at that. His brain didn’t restart all at once. It was piecemeal. Slow. The crowd’s cheers made it hard to focus, along with a flood of sensations filtering into his brain all at once. It was weird, like he didn’t know how to process it all. He’d been knocked out before, but never like this. Concussion? Maybe.

But he heard the count, that much was clear. And after he gathered enough sense to realize where he was, he also knew what it meant.

Army stayed still on the floor, only letting out a long sigh as the realization washed over him. Five matches with Hawkeye - he’d been in the ring with this woman more than any other opponent, bar none. Given her everything, fought the good fight. It was close, sure, but in the end, she’d edged him out. There was no debating it, no getting around it. She was the better man.

Or woman. Person. Whatever.

He had a little laugh, just to himself, then turned enough to look her way. Still too out of it to move or talk or do much else, he gave Hawkeye a thumbs-up with a smile, and a nod of respect on top. ”Good shit.” He closed his eyes and eased back down. ”Good shit.”

She did it. She actually did it. After so many matches, bruises, blood, tears, and self doubt, she had finally done it.

She had won.

Her fans in the crowd, a group that didn't exist at all when she first came back to the league and had her initial rematch with Army, roared their applause and approval as her music started to blare, the referee helping her away from the ropes and, once she was mostly steady, raised her arm up for the whole arena to see.

She felt elated. Utterly elated. Also exhausted. Completely exhausted. Also sore. So very, very, very goddamn sore. But while her body sagged, her spirit soared, face beaming in the light. She had done it. Hardcore matches, hentai matches, brutal battles that AFW could offer, she had faced them and proven herself worthy to be here, finally able to put her shameful first run in the league behind her for good.

She looked over at Army, returning his thumbs up and flashing him a genuine smile. She had come to the league disliking him, and now that she had beaten him once and for all, all feelings of animosity were gone, nothing but respect and kinship for the handsome man laying in the corner. Slipping out of the ring, she limped towards his corner, raising her fist up to the middle of the ropes to offer him a fist bump of solidarity.

"I think...we're both gonna need some serious recovery time...but after that...lets get a drink, alright?" she said, extending the olive branch of peace and friendship to the man.

Army had lost, but it really didn’t feel like it, and he couldn't anything that came close to this sensation.  It was a good fight, so he didn’t have anything to be ashamed of, but it was more than that. This series was unlike anything he’d ever been in, either as a wrestler or a boxer, and he felt different now than at the start of it all. Better. Smarter. There were things he couldn’t do that he could now, things he’d never even thought to try, and it made him excited for the next match, whoever it would be against.

All thanks to Hawkeye and some silly match he’d almost forgotten about.

He took a deep breath as she came over to his corner, not sure what she would have to say. Maybe rub things in a little? A taunt? He wouldn’t have complained about it. She’d earned it.

Instead, she just offered her hand for a bump. One that, after a raised eyebrow and a smile, he returned.

”Yeah, sure. After I stop seeing double of everything, I’m down for that.” He closed his eyes and leaned back against the turnbuckle. ”For now, I’m going back to my apartment and crashing hard. I’ll resurrect in three days and call you.”

Hawkeye nodded in response, giving Army a bright smile as she limped her way to the back, taking a moment to bask in her fans applause as she stood on the top of the stage. She had come a LONG way from being that meek rookie who got completely crushed and booed off stage so many years ago. Finally, once and for all, she could put all of that behind her. She had more than proved herself, she had earned her spot in this league, and nobody could say otherwise.

She was hurt, she was sore, she desperately needed a hot shower, a massage, and several days off to just eat ice cream and watch tv...but over all...she felt good...the best she had felt in years.

Riza Hawkeye wins via 10 Count Fall
Riza Hawkeye wins Best of 5 Series 3-2