Libby "Liberty" Vella (C) vs. River Styx - Walk Tall

Usually, when you hear music in a wrestling arena, you expect a wrestler, or at least someone who will attempt to do something akin to wrestling. Not tonight. When [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eR_5yeJI4L0:f58kwrhx]this[/url:f58kwrhx] music started up, the entrance stay empty. No one came out for a full thirty seconds.

"Over here." A scraggily, pack-a-day voice drawled out over the arena, and the cameras started searching, trying to hone in on the source. "The audience, I'm in the audience, jackasses." The spotlight came up, searching through the crowd, making them cheer wherever it passed. Still no sign of her. "No, Jesus fuck - row H, seat 32. Come on."

Sure enough, River was sitting off in a corner of the arena, surrounded by a bunch of empty seats that she'd 'persuaded' some of the audience to give up. She was dressed to compete - wearing her army pants and elbow pads, her unlaced boots, her Thunderbolts top, with the fingerless gloves to complete the ensemble. But she wasn't here to fight. Not just yet.

She waved at the camera and spoke through the microphone she'd 'persuaded' a guy in the back to give to her. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt, I just...well, I thought I'd experience the AFW as a member of the audience for once, seeing it from the back, you know? And I've got a few little critiques I'd like to lay down."

She took a handful of popcorn and started to make her way down to the ring, one step at a time. "There's this little saying, you might have of it, goes like this - wrestling: In Canada it's a Tradition, in Mexico it's a Religion, in Japan it's a Sport, in America, it's a joke." Sure enough the crowd burst into cheers at that one. Expected. "And you know what? I kind of agree. It can be a joke in America, sure, fine. But I'd change it up a little - I say, in Japan it's a joke, too."

And, sure enough, that made the crowd burst out into a hearty round of boos, which she met with her middle finger, dropping a few kernels by accident as she did it. "Oh, what, you don't like that? Truth's a little too inconvenient for you? Well, here's another saying - denial isn't just a river in Egypt. You people come out here, week after week after, for Anime Female Wrestling. But I've been sitting up there for the past few hours, and you know what? I've seen very little wrestling."

She stepped over the barricade and started to saunter on into the ring, taking a big, single step up the stairs to show off the height. "You know it's true. Stinkface matches? Hentai matches? The fucking Kawaii league? You people will pay to see a bunch of midgets run around the ring. You'll pay to see two chicks fuck in the middle of the room, you'll shell out fucking PPV money for that drivel. Even the few real matches we get around this place, half the time the girls are trying to fuck each other instead of fucking up each other." She did a hip thrust for emphasis, swinging it around a bit to pour on the emphasis. "You pay all this money, come in droves, to watch cheap porn! They're getting screwed in there, you're getting screwed out here, and you're paying for the insult. And when you do have real matches, most of the time their by a bunch of scrawny little girls who barely even use the moves. So yeah, Japanese wrestling - or this company - at least, is a fucking joke, a glittering gaggle of giggling girls, when it should be real women and real fighting in the real ring. Not. Im. Pressed."

She pointed to the entrance and walked over to the ropes, leaning towards it with expectant eyes. "But there's a change in the wind. I can feel it, calling in the air tonight. We got a new hardcore champion now. Some new faces. Waters starting to warm up, so I think it's about time I really dived in and helped it along. So. Here is what is going to happen." She rolled her neck around, starting to get loose. Sitting down for so long cramped her up a bit. "I want entertainment. I am going to get entertainment. More specifically, I want the hardcore champion in this ring. I want a real match, and I want to see if she can give it to me, and I'm not taking a fucking step from this hallowed square until she does."

River tossed the microphone out of the ring, eager to see if Libby was stupid enough to take the bait.

Liberty had been tipped off that one of the other hardcore wrestlers was planning on talking some shit, and the champion had found a screen backstage to watch the whole of Styxâ€s spectacle. She initially sighed and shook her head at the short-haired blondeâ€s crowd-baiting display. Liberty allowed herself a smile, though, as Styx began to rail at the quality of the wrestling league. She smirked as the angry blonde pointed out the AFWâ€s pathetic descent into pornography, and even laughed and nodded when Styx joked about how everyone was getting screwed. Liberty felt the same way, and it seemed like this was a girl after her own heart. The crowd might be booing, but Liberty was feeling pretty fired up by some of that speech!

Her smile faded a little as she realised the extent of Styxâ€s self-importance, throwing down a challenge to her directly. She scowled at the screen, slung her hardcore belt over her shoulder, and marched straight for the arena entrance. Stagehands shot her enquiring glances as she approached the main ramp. “Yes, Iâ€m fucking going out there,” she snapped. Liberty was happy to let Styx rail at the AFW itself, but a personal challenge couldnâ€t go unanswered.

This was especially impulsive of the black-haired fighter, considering the doctors had told her flat-out not to wrestle. Her body had taken a battering at the summer PPV, and although she had already flaunted that advice to appear in the ring and hold her own, she was far from healed. Her skull was still rather bruised and tender, and her crotch had taken an appalling amount of low blows. Liberty was damned if that would stop her facing this upstart, though.

Her theme played briefly as the stagehands rushed to confirm her entrance. The black-haired girl marched quickly down the ramp, sporting her normal black-and-white, unkempt attire. Her pale skin had a few more bruises than usual, although her grey eyes were shining with intent. A gleaming belt on her shoulder and a microphone in hand, she entered the ring more than ready to stand up to Styx. The crowd cheered the champion, assuming she was here to defend the AFW against these insults.

“Nice little speech,” she began. “Youâ€re completely right.”

The audience approval began to waver at this point. Liberty was undeterred.

“This place IS screwing everyone over. The suits will serve up any perverted shit to these people. But look at yourself - your solution is to camp out in the ring and refuse to leave until you get what you want!? Funny, you donâ€t look like a princess, but you sure act like one!”

Liberty smiled calmly and stared at her thuggish challenger, awaiting her response.

Holy shit, she actually came out.

Styx didn't actually know that Libby was in the arena. She wasn't scheduled for a match tonight as far as she knew, and what was more, the hardcore champ had taken a curbstomping Summer Splash, and the word she'd heard had her taking as seista in the hospital. She issued the challenge, but River thought it would just lead to security showing up, or maybe some random wrestler coming out to 'set her straight'. This was unexpected. But welcome. Apparently, Liberty took all the cunt punting better than it looked.

And what's more, the champion seemed a little more like-minded than River would have guessed. It wouldn't stop her shit from being wrecked, but it was a nice change of pace from the usual crowd-pleasing skeezers.

River stood up from the Indian crouch she'd been in and walked over. "Well, it's either this or watching...one second." She pulled out her program from the back pocket and gave it a quick thumbing over. "Ah, yes. Kawaii boxing. Fuck that." She folded it into a paper airplane and let it fly into the audience.

"Yeah, it's really more of a preventative measure, because if I have sit through another shitty match, I am going to vomit out the overpriced popcorn that I stole." She stuck her finger in her mouth and wretched, then spit out to the side. "I don't think I'm being unreasonable. I'm a paying customer."

That was a lie.

"I just want to get the wrestling match I paid for."

Also a lie.

"If I've got to be part of that match, well, so be it."

True.

"And if I've got to give you the shortest hardcore run in AFW history, I'm good with that. Very good."

Extremely true.

Liberty smiled wryly as Styx literally spat insults at the AFW. Rough-looking River was really playing the ‘nasty bitch†angle. Truth be told, Liberty quite liked it. Flirting with danger was what the hardcore champ lived for, and anyone could see that danger was here in spades. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as she considered Styxâ€s proposal.

“Yeah, itâ€s shit. I mean, how will the kawaiis finger each other while theyâ€re wearing those boxing gloves?” Liberty quipped. “Seriously though, youâ€re right, this place is rotten with thieves.”

She scratched her head and began to pace a little, before shooting Styx an enquiring glance. “Some of those thieves might think they can just, I donâ€t know, come down here and steal the hardcore title?”

There were murmurs in the crowd, as they realised they might see more than just insults thrown in their direction.

“Ballsy move, Styx. But at least youâ€ve got a hands-on approach.” Liberty cracked her knuckles through her fingerless gloves.

“Going after the shiny thing wonâ€t end well for you. But fuck it, Iâ€m here now, so letâ€s see what you got,” she challenged, making it clear she was agreeing to the match.

Liberty felt her pulse racing as the crowd cheered the declaration. She was looking forward to this, even if it was entirely unexpected. She stretched her muscles a little and turned to place the mic down in the corner, and hang her hardcore belt over the top rope. There was no ref or officials here, of course, but then these two fighters clearly didnâ€t need them.

River almost couldn't believe what she was seeing. Not only did the hardcore champ come out. Not only did she accept the challenge and come down to the ring. No, she topped it all off by turning her back on River. She was putting her title away, standing there, plain as day. She might as well have had a giant 'KICK MY ASS' sign on her back. River couldn't not take advantage of this.

On some level, she had to admire the Liberty's chutzpah. She was confident and sure of herself, but those weren't always virtues, especially when you're taking on a six-foot-tall wrecking machine. Liberty had to be fully healed from the beating she took at Summer Splash - that was the only thing that made this make even a little sense. Which meant Styx was up against the real hardcore champ, facing her near her best. So she was taking every opportunity that came her way.

The crowd was much too wrapped up in deciding who they should root for and who they should be booing, their murmurs turning into a muddled mess as Styx approached. "All too easy..." She chuckled under her breath and moved in, running at Liberty from behind and reaching out to grab her in a tight bearhug. "First rule, last rule, only rule when you deal with me - don't ever show me your back."

Sure enough, the bell rang and the fight was on.

"Hunghh!!" Liberty groaned as she was grabbed from behind before she could even start the match proper. She cursed herself for not expecting that, especially since Styx seemed exactly the type to show ruthless initiative. Hell, that was mainly the reason Liberty had to fight her.

Still, it could have been a lot worse for the long-haired girl, and she had more than a few tricks up her sleeve.

"Fuck you and your rules," she exclaimed. At the same time, she would drive her elbow back hard into the body of her attacker. She might have liked to wait before introducing Styx to her steel-plated elbow pad, but her hand had been forced, and she needed to teach her foe a painful lesson as soon as possible.

And, so, it was officially on.

[url=http://afwrpg.informe.com/forum/friction-roster-f10/libby-liberty-vella-t3271.html:28osq927][align=center:28osq927][/align:28osq927][/url:28osq927]
[align=center:28osq927][size=150:28osq927]Libby 'Liberty' Vella - Hardcore Champion[/align:28osq927]

[size=120:28osq927][align=center:28osq927]-VS-[/align:28osq927]

[url=http://afwrpg.informe.com/forum/friction-roster-f10/river-styx-t9863.html:28osq927][align=center:28osq927][/align:28osq927][/url:28osq927]
[size=150:28osq927][align=center:28osq927]River Styx[/align:28osq927]

Match Type: Hardcore
Winning Conditions: Pinfall, Submission, or KO. Falls Count Anywhere

---

River's first two forays into the AFW had been disappointing, to put into a mild way. Cecilia Northman seemed more like primped up prima donna, more into her image than really pushing the hardcore style. She lost that match through a last minute oversight, but all the same, it left her unsatisfied. Not nearly up to the brutality she was looking for. Her second match had even been worse than the first, a normal bout with the same old boring rules against a shitty chit of a girl with green hair.

But this match - no, this fight was looking promising right from the start. They'd barely begun, and already Liberty had her hurting. That steel plated elbow cracked into her ribs and made Styx glad that she kept up with her daily calcium recommendations. Strong bones.

Styx threw Liberty into the turnbuckle and stepped back with a hard grimace on her, grasping her side. "Metal elbow pads. Want them."

Liberty was pleased to feel her elbow hit rib, her opponent clearly hurting as she quickly released the bear hug. It wasnâ€t made easy for the champ, though, as she was thrown forwards into the turnbuckle, stumbling into the corner post with a bump.

She gripped the ropes and turned herself around. Styx was clutching her side, and Liberty couldnâ€t help but grin at the comment about her elbow pads.

“Heh, first the belt, now the pads. Tell you what, you want them, Iâ€ll give you them. Face or spine?” she smiled.

For all her bravado, Liberty was still cornered, which wasnâ€t a great place to be. Her eyes darted around and saw the discarded mic a few steps away. Taking a chance, she decided to lunge forwards and bend to grab the item. If she moved fast enough she could swing the metal handle at Styxâ€s head.

Face, spine, decisions, decisions. "Let me think." Her eyes searched the sky for a moment, before she shrugged it off. "Why not both?"

Liberty wasn't the only one who'd come down to the ring with some special accessories, but River preferred to keep hers stowed away for the time being, preferring to use weapons in the latter half of the fight. They'd be an excellent way change the game or make sure it stayed in her favor, and the element of surprise was always a good thing to have. Besides, she was fairly confident that her bare hands could get the job done. That and the steel-toe in her shoes. Maybe some elbows, too. A headbutt, here and there. And she'd have to throw her through the announcer's table or on the barricade at some point, for tradition's sake.

Shaking the pain off, River started to lumber forward - if she had her way, they would bury Liberty in that corner. But the Champ didn't get to be the champ by being slow on her feet, and she was out of there in a flash, grabbing the microphone and acquainting River's face with the butt end.

She snarled as the blow cracked her in the face and sent her back, but she wasn't going to back off that easy. Instead of staying stunned, she bounced off the ropes and surged forward with some added momentum, rushing towards Liberty with a clothesline straight from the pit of hell.

Liberty loved the metallic clang as the mic handle crunched into Styx's face, the sound pleasingly amplified to a screech by the arena sound system. Her foe staggered back, and Liberty waited to see if there was an opening for another face strike. She needed to get this wrapped up pretty ruthlessly, before her injuries began to show, but provided she kept up with the weapon use, she didn't think that would be a problem.

What she hadn't bargained for, though, was Styx using the backwards stumble to her advantage, bouncing off the ropes to come at Liberty with renewed aggression.

"Fuck!" Liberty exclaimed, as Styx came at her like a blur, too quick for the black-haired girl to do anything but stand there dumbly. She grunted as the clothesline caught her right across the chest, knocking her clean off her feet. She flew back, limbs flailing, dropping her weapon, before landing spine-first with a painful thud.