Interlude: Daylight Slayings Time

Hello friends,



Rest assured Emily's road trip will resume later this month or in very early December. Until then, please enjoy this mini-card I'm offering up in lieu of the usual All Hallows Evil Card. It's a pair of establishing promos followed by two full length matches utilizing some of my favorite ladies and two of the Madhouse's most notorious gimmicks. I'd tell you not to read it with the lights off, but where's the fun in that?



Enjoy,



~rf



********



The Harrenhal Training Facility, the Saturday before ‘Mania:[/b]



Mallory Slade, less than five minutes removed from a ten minute sparring match with Bailey Travis worked under the watchful eyes of Amanda Jane Giardi, Diana Renfield and Sydney Deschain, wiped a dry towel across her damp forehead and followed up with a long swallow from her water bottle. Still not quite able to believe that the Jungle class had been flown down to Orlando for a week-long seminar at the Madhouse AND box seats for Fawnamania, Slade took a few more sips and rubbed down her shoulders and legs before hanging the towel in the locker they’d assigned. Feeling quite good after her row with the statuesque blonde, (she’d weathered Travis’s power game and managed to catch her on an Inside Cradle to take the win) Mallory looked around, saw Amanda Jane was unoccupied and went over in search of pointers.



The Astonishing One saw her coming and raised a hand before Slade could say so much as a word. “Sorry to cut you off, Mal. I just got word from Anciline, she’s set up in the little conference room in the conference room near the back and she’s asked to see you.”



The Australian’s eyes went wide with surprise and a just a touch of fear. “Oh. Ok. Did she say why?”



Giardi shrugged. “Something about a unique opportunity. Go on, she doesn’t like to wait.”



In no mood to raise the aristocrat’s legendary ire, Mallory hurried across the gym, paused in front of the unobtrusive door and knocked three times. A voice she knew from TV replied, “Come in, cheri.” Slade took a deep breath, opened the door and stepped through. Whatever greeting she had at the ready died when she realized de Cyr wasn’t alone. She sat on the far side of a small conference table with none other than Edward Wayne Thomas. Nearest to Mal, another woman sat with her back to the door.



The Tigress knew who she was without hearing a word, not that it stopped her nemesis from saying, “Ahhhh, there you are, Mallory. I was afraid you wandered off again.”



Secure enough to take her eyes from Elise Winterrest only because they shared the room with two of FAWN’s top brass, Slade swallowed the lump in her throat and sat down in the chair beside Ms. Murder. “Sorry to keep you both waiting.” Slade said to her bosses. “What is this about?”



Anciline looked to Thomas, who nodded earnestly. Satisfied, she turned to the Jungle stars and said, “First off, let me say how much I appreciate the way you both have elevated the Jungle’s profile over the last year and a half. Your series in Bangor has increased viewership by a good twenty percent and those matches are among the most downloaded on a weekly basis for the last several months. However Thomas and I are worried that this seemingly endless animosity you have for one another could ultimately hurt the brand because the two of you have set the bar so high. Therefore we’ve decided--”



“Bangor’s not big enough for the both of ya!” EWT interrupted in a remarkably bad western drawl. “Which is to say, it’s not big enough to give you the proper resolution for this war.” He started to go on, realized Anciline was giving him side eye and instead cleared his throat. “Sorry Anci, I get excited. Go on, you tell them.”



“No apologies necessary, Edward. It is indeed exciting news.” She returned her attention to Slade and Winterrest. “Scheduling beyond our control means there will be no official All Hallows Eve card this year. However, the board and I have decided to put on a pair of matches the Sunday after Fawnamania. They’re calling it Daylight Slayings Time and it will serve not only as the final chapter of the hellacious feud, but as your introduction to the Main Roster.” De Cyr went silent so they could take in the news.



“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?” Elise asked before Mal could do the same.



“Yes. You will both be reporting to Orlando full time as of January first, twenty-seventeen.”



“So we’re going to have a match at the FAWN arena?” Mallory tried not to sound starstruck. “Holy crap!”



Anciline smiled and Edward chuckled. “Not quite yet. We’re offering up a suitable replacement for All Hallows Evil, remember?” the Frenchwoman replied. “Your match will take place here, or rather, in the Spider’s Nest. It struck the both of us as the only structure we have capable of containing your hatred for one another.”



“It’s intense, not gonna lie.” Thomas added.



“But I think you ladies are more than capable of making a memorable first impression, don’t you agree?”



“Absolutely.” Elise said pleasantly. “Though I apologize in advance for any injuries sustained that keep Mallory from reporting for work on the first of the year.”



Mal sucked in a deep breath, let it out through clenched teeth. “Don’t worry about me, Elise. Worry about what I’m going to do to you inside that cage.”



“Are you going to bleed on me, dear? I’m used to that by--”



The Tigress pushed out of her seat and Winterrest did the same, the pair of rivals going nose to nose despite the presence of suits. “No need for that.” Anci said quietly. “Save it for the Nest. Elise, we’ve already gone over the paperwork with you, if you’d be so kind as to leave us so we can do the same for Mallory.”



The Icy Manipulator waited just long enough to make the blonde wonder. “Of course. Thank you both for the opportunity.” To Slade: “See you next Sunday, Tigress.” She turned and swept out the door without a single look back.



After that it was all business as Mallory signed and initialed documents for the next twenty minutes or so. It should’ve been the happiest moment of her career, in fact it WAS, but she couldn’t enjoy it fully. She didn’t think she’d really enjoy anything until she was standing over the beaten, bloodied frame of Elise Winterrest.





********



Exclusive to FAWN.com, posted the night after ‘Mania



Black for all of a second, the view cuts to a smart phone-shot view of Adelaide Brewster sitting on a bench somewhere in one of the service corridors deep in the bowels of the arena. A murmur from the cameraman (it sounds like Ashley Conda, but don’t quote me) prompts the Weeping Angel to raise her eyes to the phone. Considering her condition at the end of her match with Camille Cosworth, most observers would’ve expected at least a shred of resignation or even humility on the brunette’s face, what greeted them was dark eyes dark eyes glowing with a hate so feverish they almost looked red in the low light.



After a moment’s silence, she rakes a hand through her hair and says, “This challenge was originally intended for Camille Cosworth or her gutless, jibbering whore. Seeing as how thrilled the little spot monkey was following her pyrrhic victory I assumed she would’ve jumped at the chance to show the world she’s something more than a one-match fluke. Imagine my surprise then when the useless chattel in the front office tell me that dear little Cammy has taken ten days off to celebrate her,” Brewster’s mouth twists like she tastes something unpleasant, “her Fawnamania moment. And if that wasn’t galling enough, that K-Pop reject piece of trash has been suspended for that shyt she pulled on me after the bell. Let me be clear, I did not WANT, nor did I ASK for Yoona Park to be suspended. I wanted her right here at work, so I could set to making her sorry she ever heard the name Camille Cosworth. But she’s gone and I simply do not have the patience to wait. So consider this an open challenge to the whole roster. This Sunday FAWN will run a two-match card from the Madhouse. I don’t know or care what’s in the opener, but in the Main Event I’ll defend the Queen of the Madhouse title against anyone foolish enough to walk through those doors. So tell me, are any of you chattel brave enough to answer my challenge? While the reward is great, the dangers are far worse. For anyone who fails in their efforts will face terror, humiliation and above all PAIN, within the Queen’s Chambers. I’d understand if no one accepts, but I warn you, if I have to go looking for fresh meat… it won’t be pretty.”



Baring her teeth in that remarkably unsettling smile, Adelaide stood up and stormed out of sight, leaving the camera with a view of blank concrete wall and the sound of her footsteps fading to nothingness. Shortly thereafter, the view did the same.





********



An extra hour of morning meant night fell that much earlier and indeed the shadows hung long as the ‘Daylight Slayings Time’ logo gave way to a shot of the Announcer standing in the center of a spotlight that was itself in the middle of a whole lot of darkness. Raising his mic, the man said, “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time we returned to the Madhouse.”



A worrisome prospect indeed, not that anyone had time to get off the ride before the Announcer dissolved into a tracking shot racing down a well kept section of two-lane blacktop somewhere not too far from Cassadaga. Suddenly the camera made a sharp turn to the left, cruising between a set of wrought iron gates to continue its trek up a winding driveway that seemed to be nothing but hairpin turns. In less than a minute the road crested a small hill and the woods gave way to reveal the one-time Harrenhal Mental Health Institute reborn as FAWN’s premiere training facility, not to mention repository for some of it’s most outré gimmicks.



Even more unnerving when painted in the purple and orange light of a Florida Autumn, the looming pile of masonry lurked in the center of a wide green clearing, the former asylum no longer had need of razor-wire fences and guard stations, not that it ever received that many visitors. Even with its newfound fame, something about the place just kept people away. Unless they’d bought tickets of course, then the fans arrived en masse, seemingly bolstered by the idea of strength in numbers.



Aware that the camera was rapidly approaching the double doors of the main entrance, several fans pushed back in their seats and dozens more held their breath until they’d been whisked over that ominous threshold. Not that the interior was much more welcoming, think Matheson’s infamous Belasco Mansion by way of Vince McMahon. Keeping to a more or less straight line, the camera swept across the wide, empty lobby and ascended the wide central staircase before turning right at the second floor landing. Now a narrower, darker stretch of hall, followed by a dip to the left that led deeper into the bowels of Harrenhal. Finally, the journey slowed in front of a heavy wooden door, outside which a half dozen anxious looking referees waited.



The bronze nameplate on the door conjured unpleasant images for most:



SPIDER’S NEST


It opened without a sound and the camera slipped inside, taking the FAWNatics along whether they wanted to or not. Housed in a room roughly half the size of a standard gymnasium, the Spider’s Nest was, at first glance, the basic model FAWN steel cage -- Sturdy black steel bars made up the frame while flexible but unforgiving chain-link fence filled the gaps, making sure nothing much bigger than a clenched fist could reach in from the outside. A more thorough perusal identified Eve Choldstone’s unique flourishes. Hanging from the center of the cage ceiling was what could only be described as a spider’s web of steel chain. Arranged in a cylinder and hanging all the way to the floor (where it puddled in unpleasant clumps) the ‘Nest’ was perhaps six or seven feet in diameter, its single jostling wall made of a mismatched variety of circular steel links. Some near the bottom were large enough to crawl through, others were well sized for hands and feet, still others wouldn’t be good for anything other than abrading an opponent’s skin. By this point most everyone was wondering why anyone in their right mind would attempt to crawl through such a monstrosity. The camera showed them why, zooming silently through the links to angle down and reveal… a six foot leather strap, waiting patiently for the woman with vengeance in her heart.



The view held just long enough to send a chill down the viewer’s spine, then faded into a real time medium shot of the Nest and its latest occupants. Waiting on opposite sides of this hateful construct were two of the Jungle’s best and brightest: Mallory Slade and Elise Winterrest. Between them stood the tall, lanky figure of referee Algernon ‘Al’ Carpenter, who’d checked the knees, elbows and wrists of both ladies before the show went live. With that done, he nodded to the camera. Upstairs, the fans sitting in a darkened arena cheered as the Announcer resumed his duties.



“Ladies and gentlemen, our opening contest is scheduled for one fall with a one hour time limit. Under the rules of the Spider’s Nest there are no count outs, no disqualifications and no knockouts. Victory can only be attained via pin-fall, submission or referee’s stoppage. Introducing first, hailing from Tallong, Queensland Australia, she stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty-four pounds. She is the Tigress, MALLORY SLADE!”



MALLORY SLADE:





Bolstered by the cheers of the fans (both above and from the small contingent of loyal Bangor regulars the promotion had shipped down for this match) Mal took a step forward and raised a fist overhead. For what was essentially her Main Roster debut, she wore a tiger print halter-style bikini top and matching bottoms, the waistband of which were adorned with an inch or so of orange and black fringe. Pads at knee and wrist were black while her wrist tape and boots were bright orange. Her hair, a shoulder length dark brown highlighted by sun-born golden blonde streaks, was pulled back in a tight ponytail more than a little evocative of a tiger’s tail. Though she had plenty to say to the brunette lurking on the far side of the Nest, Slade remained silent. She could wait until the bell. And even then she’d let her fists do the talking.



The clamor died down so the Announcer piped up. “And introducing her opponent, hailing from Belasco Maine, she stands at five feet seven inches tall and weighs in tonight at one hundred and thirty-three pounds. They call her Miss Murder, ELISE WINTERREST!”



ELISE WINTERREST:





Having forgone her usual silk shift due to the lack of ring walk, Elise was already standing in all her glory, the slim-thick brunette armored in a black halter style one-piece with its four bright red slashes across the front. Pads at knee and elbow were matte black while her boots were gleaming black vinyl that ended an inch south of her knee. Inscribed vertically along one side of each boot was a single word in a dark, ominous red: ‘Redrum’. The Icy Manipulator made no move to salute the crowd when her name was called, she did however look down at the surprisingly pristine white mat. “What a lovely canvas they’ve provided me.” she said just loud enough for Mallory to hear. “It’s like they already know what I have planned for you.”



Most first-time visitors to the Madhouse had a hard time taking their eyes off the surroundings, especially those visitors that happened to find themselves locked in a structure as formidable as the Spider’s Nest. This was quite true of the few dozen hardcore Jungle fanatics FAWN had flown in to witness the last conflict between the Tigress and Ms. Murder. For Mallory Slade and Elise Winterrest however, the new venue, intimidating cage and elevated profile meant nothing. They were merely superfluous window dressing when compared to the fact that they were, after more than a year’s worth of the most hellacious battles Bangor had ever seen, FINALLY going to settle this rivalry once and for all. Eager to help them along on their journey, the bell CLANGED and the small, enthusiastic crowd cheered heartily, with most of the support urging Mal to seek a terrible vengeance on her brunette nemesis.



Speaking of whom, Elise placed one hand against the dangling mesh of the interior ‘Nest’ and brushed them softly, making a sound a bit like a wind-chime. Dark eyes locked on the blonde on the other side of this nasty little trap, Winterrest said, “I’m sorry we couldn’t do this outside, Mallory. A feral beast deserves one last look at the open sky before they’re brought to ground, don’t you think? Alas, I’ll have to console myself with the sounds of your screams echoing off these walls.”



Slade shook her head slightly, the tawny stunner working quite diligently to control the red rage that always seemed to blossom in her eyes when Elise was around. “There’s no way they would have let us do this outside, Elise.” she replied. “You’d have run away the instant you started bleeding.”



The smile on Winterrest’s face didn’t reach her eyes. “You’re the one leaving a blood trail, kitten. Or have you forgotten what I did to you in the spring?”



Slade hadn’t. In truth she was chased from sleep at least once a week from dreams of Elise’s voice and the taste of phantom blood in her mouth. “You wounded me, Elise. Scarred me. But you didn’t finish me and that was your mistake.” She reached up, grabbed the Spider’s Nest in both hands and gave it a violent shake. “Tonight you feel MY teeth at YOUR throat. Tonight you beg for mercy. Tonight you scream for the Tigr--”



“COME AND GET ME, THEN!” Elise roared over the end of her rival’s promise. “BRING YOUR PROMISES, THREATS AND FEARFUL SYMMETRY TO ME BECAUSE I’LL SPREAD THEM ALL OVER THIS CANVAS!”



Slade didn’t need to be told twice, indeed she started moving while the brunette was still running her damned mouth. Rounding the curve of the Nest with her hands already crooked into dangerous claws, Mal plunged the left into Elise’s dark mane and raaaaaaked the right down her cheek before simply clamping down on the lower half of her face. Any joy Slade would’ve taken in this early savagery was quickly dispersed by Winterrest’s own claw attempting to prize her ponytail from her scalp. Not content with a mere hair-pull when the guileless savage was actively seeking to maim her face, Elise shoved the palm of her hand against Slade’s nose and bore down on her cheeks, temples and forehead with an Iron Claw. With neither woman able to speak through the other’s claw, Mallory and Elise hissed their displeasure and proceeded to stamp and twist around the confines of the cage, occasionally sliding or scraping against the Nest, but never quite stopping until Winterrest twisted away from Slade’s tines (at the cost of a small tuft of her own hair) and doubled down on her ponytail grip. Using it like a tether, she set her heels and swung the Aussie import into the cage with a rattling BWANG!



Mal cried out, clutched at her impacted shoulder and tried to back away. Unfortunately her hair was still in the Mainer’s possession and Elise put it to good use by slamming the blonde’s other shoulder into the unforgiving steel. Resisting a strong urge to bludgeon her rival against the cage until she stopped moving, Elise tossed away Mallory’s ponytail away in favor of palming her chin and the right side of her head. Trapping the Tigress between the rock of the cage and the hard place that was her heart, Winterrest jerked Slade’s noggin forward and BWANGED the back of her head against the steel once, twice, three times!



The transplanted Jungle Dwellers jeered this brutal aggression, but Ms Murder paid them no mind. With Mallory’s reflexes temporarily slowed, she’d resumed her control over the Aussie’s long, glossy ponytail. Only this time she threaded it through one of the links in the cage and pulled it back in, forcing the back of the blonde’s head against the rattling wall. “Not quite as impressive as having an actual tiger by the tail, I’ll admit.” Elise smirked as she set about tying her foe’s locks in a knot. “But securing a skank by her own extensions is still a feat worth celebrating, don’t you NNNNNNGGGGGGGHHH!”



Mallory Slade, who prided herself on an overwhelming sense of fair play when wrestling every other woman in the Jungle, shifted her hips ever so slightly and pounded a Kneelift straight into the brunette’s crotch. Elise doubled over, grabbed the side of the cage for support, then straightened up and replied with a Kneelift that rocked Slade up on her toes.



“That’s what you get, Mallory.” Winterrest sneered as the pigeon-toed battler pressed one hand to her aching undercarriage. “Anything you can muster I can match with that much more venom and spiTEERRRRGGGAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!”



Mal’s inner strategist told her that standing in place to exchange crotch shots with a sadist like Elise Winterrest wasn’t a sustainable model, yet that didn’t stop her from hitting a second Kneelift below the beltline. Nor did it keep her from sliding her left hand between the brunette’s thighs to squeeze for all she was worth. “Why don’t you just shut up for once, Elise?” Slade whispered because her fingers were doing most of the talking. “Better yet, how about you scream?” Mal dug her nails into the thin lycra protecting her prey’s center, grabbed a hank of hair with her other hand and pushed off the cage just far enough to spin around and BWAM the brunette against the steel mesh. With the claw still digging furiously away, Mallory slid her free forearm across Winterrest’s throat and pressed in hard enough to make the brunette retch and stamp her feet. “Go on, Elise.” Slade was nose to nose with the American, drinking in every bit of her pain as she was attacked in two very different ways. “Scream as loud as you can. Not for me, but as a warning to all the other trash that thinks they can make a name at my--”



Elise craned her head forward and licked the tip of Mallory’s nose, a blatant display of disrespect despite the dire circumstances. “My name was made long before I met you, Tigress.” she rasped through the pain. “I just love hunting creatures that think they have no eqOOOOFFFFFFHHH!”



Mal abandoned the claw to hit Elise with a third low Kneelift and then slapped on a Front Facelock when the brunette doubled over. The lack of traditional corners or turnbuckles might’ve hampered some women, Mallory Slade however was not discomfited in the slightest. Jerking the captive brunette away from the links, the Tigress of Tallong jumped into the air and planted her feet against the side of the cage. Pushing off with a shove and a roar, Slade swung around in a smooth circle and laid out on her back to THWHUNK the crown of her opponent’s skull against the mat with a Tornado DDT. Elise somersaulted over onto her back and started to roll to her stomach only for Mal to snatch her at shoulder and hip. Jerking the woozy brunette onto her back, the Aussie stunner pounced across her midsection and hooked the far leg while Al Carpenter dove in to slap the mat…



ONE…

TWO…



The Icy Manipulator bucked Slade loose at ‘TWO!’ a strong rebuke that put an end to thoughts of this match not going the distance. Neither irritated or surprised by the brunette’s resilience, Mallory buried her hands in Elise’s dark hair and yanked her to boot-leather. “You’ve got a head start on using this thing as a weapon, Elise.” Mal noted even as she switched her hair-hold to a perfectly legal Wristlock. “Lets see if I can’t make up some ground.”



A response formed on Winterrest’s lips, but whatever came out was lost in an explosion of breath and a jangle of steel as the blonde beauty BWAAANGED her prey chest-first into the side of the cage. Elise reeled, one hand to her chest, the other grasping at the frame for support. She was still trying to catch her wind when Slade rushed in, leapt up and drilled both knees between her shoulders! The force of the impact slammed Winterrest’s forehead and sternum into the steel with more than enough momentum to send her pin-balling away, unfortunately Mallory was still looming on her six and she grabbed Ms. Murder by the scruff of the neck.



“You didn’t just beat me, Elise.” BWANG! She bounced the other wrestler’s forehead off the cage, then jerked her back while she was still reeling. “You HURT me. Made me bleed.” BWANG! “You SHAMED me, Elise. And then you reveled in it.” BWANG! Both of Elise’s hands were wrapped around the steel bars now, that and Slade’s hair-hold were the only thing keeping her vertical at the moment.



“Yuuuuhhh… yes I did. And I’m STILL reveling it. Just as I’ll revel in the horror of these people when they realize their noble Tigress is as savage as the creatures she hunNNNNGGGGHHH!”



Mallory bounced the brunette’s head one more time, only now she moved a forearm to the back of her neck while the other hand twined deep in her hair. “Don’t you dare try to claim some sort of more high ground, bytch. You earned every BIT of this!” With that she started to draaaaaaaaaaaaag Winterrest’s forehead back and forth, the Tigress using the Nest like a horribly blunt, comically oversized cheese grater in the hopes of spilling some of her foe’s blood on this crisp November evening.



Al, who’d stayed out of this war save to count the fall after the DDT, strode up to the action and said, “Get her out of there, Mallory. You’re better than this.”



Slade only smudged herself against Elise’s back and increased the pace of her face-erasing scrub. “Better has nothing to do with it, Mr. Carpenter. This is about showing a hateful tramp that her actions have consequeNNNNNGHHHH!”



Blessedly aware that this battleground had no time for pleasantries like count outs or disqualifications, Elise shifted her footing ever so slightly and then THWHUMPED a hateful Mule Kick back between her tormentor’s thighs. Sighing in pleasure and relief as the Aussie collapsed against her back in a sobbing heap, Winterrest cooed, “You speak as if this isn’t exactly the sort of ending I imagined when I first decided to ARRGGGHHH!”



Mal wrenched Elise’s head to one side, leaned in and paid tribute to the Queen of the Madhouse by sinking her teeth into the base of her prey’s neck. Elise let go of the cage to grab at the blonde’s hair, so Slade let loose and slipped both hands under opposing biceps to secure a grinding Full Nelson. Though it was terribly tempting to keep pounding Ms. Murder’s noggin against the Nest, Mallory pulled Elise away and spun around so her back was to the links. Pressing down hard on the back of her opponent’s neck, Mal dropped her hips and reeled back on her heels to yank Elise high into the air. With the brunette’s legs swung up the waist-level, the Tigress dropped to her tush and THWHUMPED Winterrest’s defenseless rump against the thinly-sheathed canvas.



BOOMSLANG:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHSot-F8MJo



Elise’s eyes bugged wide and she tried to twist loose of the Nelson, but Slade wrenched back and slipped her legs around her rival’s waist. Ankles together, Mallory pulled on the Nelson and squeeeeeeeeeeezed down on the Scissors. Elise groaned and waggled a finger ‘no’, since she was unable to shake her head because of the pressure on her neck. “Gotcha now, Elise.” Slade chided as she worked the pair of powerful holds. “Gonna cut you in half if you don’t tap out!” She poured more power into the Boomslang, the muscles in her legs shredding into sharp relief as Winterrest hissed in pain. More than happy to crush and grind on the hold until her rival sobbed a surrender, Mallory rolled from her back to her side and made things all the more uncomfortable by pulling at Winterrest’s dark hair. “Give it up, baby.” Slade cooed. “Now or later, doesn’t matter to me, just as long as you say it real loud! I want all those faithful Jungle Dwellers to hear the panic in your EEERRRRGGGGHHHH!”



Powerless to offer any defense against the Scissors, Elise worked her left arm until she managed to find the Australian’s knotted hands. Feeling the curve of Slade’s right thumb, Winterrest grabbed hold and promptly tried to bend it all the way back to her forearm! Shrieking in pain as the black-clad woman attacked her defenses in the most savage fashion imaginable, Mal doubled down on her Scissors and crooked her other hand into a claw which she promptly raked across her attacker’s eyes! Elise squealed in pain but damned if she didn’t yank on the blonde’s thumb one more time! That proved enough to undo the Tigress’s legs and Winterrest rolled clear at once, getting a rude kick in the hip as a small parting gift.



On one knee after only a moment’s recuperation, Elise kept one arm wrapped around her midsection while the other tended to her stinging eyes. Mal did much the same, albeit her ministrations were focused solely on her aching thumb. Catching the attention of the hated other as her hurts began to fade, Winterrest flipped hair out of her eyes and called out, “It warms my heart to know how similar we are once the veneer of civility is wiped away, Mallory. Now if only you wouldn’t insist on replacing it every time I defeat you.”



“You are a great wrestler, Elise. And in any other circumstances I’d love to have a rival like you, the problem is you’re also a hateful, gutless sadist who enjoys causing pain even more than she likes winning!”



Elise stood up and let her fingertips trail across the deep red slashes that highlighted her one-piece. “Don’t insult my intelligence with lies, kitten. I’ve seen your body and soul laid bare and I know that the two of us are almost identical. In fact, our only real difference is the reason we’re fighting tonight. The only reason we’ve put each other through hell during the last year.”



Slade wasn’t really in the mood to hear more of Winterrest’s poison ramblings, but something in the American’s tone caught her attention. Even so it paid to be ready, so she raised her hands and crooked them into talons. “Fine, I’ll bite. How are we different, Elise?”



She’d thought the Icy Manipulator would’ve kept a safe distance, so Slade was rather surprised when Winterrest strolled to within slappin’ distance like she didn’t have a care in the world. “I embraced my inner beast years ago, sweetheart. I let it out to play, we have fun, a bytch taps out and then it goes to sleep until it gets hungry again. You, though? You deny the Tigress even as you wear her colors. You’re afraid to let it off the leash because then those people you love so much will look at you with the same fear and disdain they level at me. That’s why we’re different, Mal. I’m a beast and don’t care who knows it. You’re a beast who’s trying to convince herself she wouldn’t sink her teeth into someone’s neck instant they were vulnerable.” Winterrest brushed the hair away from one side of her neck, exposing the pink crescent left by the blonde’s teeth. “Bite harder next time, Mal. Otherwise I’ll hunt you down and take your pelt for my wall, beast or not.”



Mallory didn’t quite trust her words at the moment, so rather than let them betray her, she took a single step forward and raised her right hand overhead.



Elise let her gaze travel up for an instant before returning her attention to the Tigress. “You’re not strong enough, Slade.” she said softly.



“Prove it.”



The brunette rolled her shoulders, lifted her left hand and locked fingers with the blonde. Already squeezing a little harder than necessary, Slade moved her other hand into position. Winterrest matched her and the Test of Strength was on the instant their palms touched. Practically statues as they focused all efforts on making her nemesis kneel, Mallory and Elise met forehead to forehead, the resultant stare-down just another skirmish in their war for supremacy. Given the oceans of vitriol between them at this point, the Jungle Dwellers expected a steady stream of trash talk from both ladies, but blonde and brunette were eerily silent, save for the quiet grunts, sighs and murmurs as they made minor adjustments to their stance.



This latest battle was well over thirty seconds old when Winterrest abruptly pivoted onto one foot and THUMPED her left knee into Slade’s ribs, just above the point of her right hip. Mal grunted, bared her teeth. “What the hell was that, bytch?”



“An invitation.” Elise said prettily. “Take your shot, if you’ve got the NNNGGGH!”



Mallory answered with vigor, her right knee hitting above the American’s left hip. “Your turn.” she chirped.



“Clearly.” Ms. Murder hit her second Kneelift, the bony joint striking the exact same spot, at least that’s the way it felt to Slade.



Not about to falter in any challenge issued by her nemesis, Mallory bore down on the Knuckle-Lock and pounded not one, but two Kneelifts into her opponent’s flanks.



Elise soaked them up, arched an eyebrow. “Aaaaaaaahhh, escalation. Lovely.” Slade didn’t get a chance to reply before Winterrest gouged THREE Kneelifts into her increasingly sore ribs. The last one knocked the blonde off balance and she spent the next ten seconds fighting off a brunette advance that would’ve forced her to one knee. Offering her pet kitty a wicked smirk, Elise noted, “You’re starting to falter, Tigress. Roll over and show me your belly now, I promise you I’ll end it quiGGUUUHHHHH!”



Mallory surged up onto tiptoes but rather than roll her foe’s wrists backward she unleashed the next round of Kneelifts. Four in number, they THWHUMPED off Winterrest’s ribs with a sound like a baseball bat striking wet clay or someone taking out years of aggression on a particularly dusty rug. Rocked by the heartless bludgeoning, Elise stumbled back several steps but damned if she didn’t maintain parity in the Test even with Slade bearing down on her. “Your turn, Elise.” Mallory taunted. “Think you can get your skinny little leg off the mat for five OOOOWWWW BYTCH!”



Elise abandoned the Kneelift in favor of a single brutal stomp that mashed the Aussie’s toes between heel and canvas. “Your turn, dear. Please do try to make this interesting before your inevitable NNNNNGGGGHHHH!”



More than a little fed up with the brunette’s condescending bullshyt, Mallory darted forward and slammed her forehead into the bridge of Elise’s nose! The spirit of their game demanded that she stand firm and wait for the Icy Manipulator to answer, but Slade had had enough of that so she hopped up and ‘smecked’ her legs around Elise’s waist to secure a Bodyscissors while the Test was still active! “GIVE UP, ELISE!” Mal barked into the suddenly grimacing features of her longtime adversary. “After everything that you’ve done, do you really think these people would give a damn if I cracked your ribs?”



Elise didn’t get a chance to answer because Al Carpenter chose that moment to interject. “How are you doing, Elise? Can you continue?”



She threw back her head for a peel of the most genuine laughter Slade had ever heard from the heartless bytch. “Oh yes, my gangly friend. I can continue. It’ll take far more than the spray-tanned thighs of this sad little animal wrangler to UUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHH!”



Mallory reared up and squeeeeeeezed, the Tigress of Tallong doing everything in her power to crush her opponent’s midsection to paste. “I’ll break your ribs, Winterrest, I swear to all that is holy, I will. Submit before you start coughing up bloWHOOAAAANNNNGGHHHH!”



The blonde’s Scissors were nothing to scoff at, but in applying them to a standing target she’d sacrificed her own vertical base and she paid dearly for it when Winterrest abruptly charged forward and BWAAANGED her back-first into the cage! Mallory hit hard, let go of the brunette’s hands and quickly wrapped her arms around Elise’s shoulders so she could keep on working those Scissors. “Your ribs will go before my back does, Elise.” Slade whispered in the other woman’s ear. “You’re not getting out of NNGGGHH! NNNNGGGH! NNNGGGHH!”



Far more desperate to escape the blonde’s stems than she’d ever admit aloud, Winterrest palmed the Australian’s head in both hands and proceeded to bounce it off the links no less than half a dozen times. Each hit loosened the Scissors a little bit more until finally Mal was barely squeezing at all. Not quite sure she could manage a deep breath, Elise settled for a mean chuckle as she hooked her right arm over the back of Slade’s noggin and pulled her down into a Front Facelock. Taking hold of opposing waistband with her other hand, Elise backed away from the cage, made a quarter turn and muscled Mallory directly over her head.



Cheering the impressive show of strength in spite of their hatred for the woman performing it, the Jungle Dwellers went from admiring to apprehensive when Winterrest broke into a shambling run and laid out on her back to THWHUNK Mallory’s head and shoulders into the mat courtesy of her ‘Murderous’ Brainbuster. Mal popped open like a starfish, the glassy-eyed battler making no protest as Elise pounced across her chest and hooked the far leg for…



ONE…

TWO…

THRNOOOO!



The Aussie stunner kicked loose and turned onto her side with about half a second to spare. A bit closer to the action than he would’ve liked, Carpenter braced himself for a tongue lashing from Winterrest, but the brunette never even looked his way, she was completely focused on peeling her rival off the mat. Another Facelock as soon as Mal was on her feet, then Elise snapped back and down, THWHONKING the crown of her prey’s skull into the mat with an equally murderous DDT. Slade somersaulted onto her back and Winterrest rolled through for another cover, her left forearm grinding hard against blonde jaw while Al counted off…



MURDEROUS DDT:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdovcE0hM8M



ONE…

TWO…

THRNOOOO!



Mal kicked out again, the woozy beauty rolling onto her belly to protect against another pin in spite of the danger inherent in offering the Icy Manipulator her back. Indeed, Winterrest had plenty of time to mount Slade’s back if she’d been of the mind, instead she ran a hand through her hair and took deep breaths until the pain in her ribs faded to manageable levels. Catching sight of the official’s somewhat questioning gaze, Elise favored him with a gleaming smile. “I could tell you what I have in mind, Mr. Carpenter. But wouldn’t you rather I showed you?”



Al thought it better not to answer such a question, meaning Winterrest was left in relative peace as she rolled Mal onto her back and grabbed her by the wrists. Getting to her feet she draaaaaaaaaaaagged the stunned lovely over to the bottom of the inner Nest and dropped to one knee. After a moment’s inspection, she nodded, eyes alight. “Ahhhh, THERE’S what I was looking for!”



Currently in total control of her opponent’s left wrist, Elise worked an arm in through the links on one side so she could reach out the other and seize the Australian’s wrist. “Don’t worry Mallory dear, I know you’ll be able to work your way out of this snare.” Winterrest cooed after she’d pulled Mal’s arm almost all the way into the interior cage. “I just need to keep you entertained while I secure the next bit of entertainment.”



Her eyes trailed over to the long leather strap hanging from the center of the Nest and those in attendance started trying to roust Slade at the top of their lungs. Elise did nothing to stop them, indeed she egged the small audience to even greater volumes as she rounded to the other side of the hanging mesh. But through it all Mal never stirred, the Tigress motionless save for one hand gingerly rubbing at her forehead and her right heel occasionally tapping against the mat. She did groan softly when Winterrest clambered her way through the mismatched links to the very center of their arena, a sound that would’ve surely been a full throated curse if the blonde had been cogent enough to witness her rival’s progress.



Those expecting some grandiose display of gloating or triumph were genuinely surprised when Ms. Murder pulled the leather strap from its moorings with a look of something like reverence on her face. Without so much as a word, she wrapped it around her left fist a few times, then slipped out the way she’d came. Understandably concerned about the fate of their favorite Aussie, several of the Jungle Dwellers rushed up to the wall of the outermost cage and pounded it with their palms, all while urging Slade back to wakefulness.



Now, Elise liked screams and wails as much as the next girl, but the fan-made clatter was a bit too much for her liking and she CRAAACKED the strap across the cage just above their heads to send the crowd leaping back. “To your seats, children.” she cooed. “You’ll want to hear what comes next.” That got plenty of boos, yet it also got the rabble in line, so Winterrest counted it a success. “I’ve taken her stripes on more than one occasion.” she told the concerned throng. “It’s only fair I gave some back.”



Finally breaking into that grin Bangor had learned to hate and fear, Elise rounded on the trapped Tigress and -- dipped low half a heartbeat before Mallory Slade put a Super Kick in the spot so recently occupied by her chin! Genuinely unnerved by Mallory’s silent escape, the Malicious Mainer spun around on her heel and made Slade pay for the miss by licking the leather strap across the inner thigh of her plant leg. Mal shrieked and stumbled forward, barely able to keep her balance in the wake of the blistering counter. CRAAACK! Elise lashed her across the back, left shoulder to right hip in a bright pink line that left the fans groaning alongside their heroine.



Hardly satisfied, Winterrest attacked overhand to strike her prey between the shoulders, then added on a quick slash across the buttocks purely for spite. Vertical through everything that came before, the shot to her backside unlocked Mallory’s knees and sent her stumbling into the unyielding wall of the outer cage. Behind her, Elise rolled her shoulders and admired her handiwork. “Tell me Tigress, did you actually charm these little birds into making a distraction for you? Or are they so misguided they’ll help you of their own accord?”



Forehead and left hand pressed against the cage, Slade held her right arm out and back and flipped Winterrest the bird. “Screw you, ElisEEEEEERRRGGHHHH!”



The Icy Manipulator laid the leather across the back of her hand, then added on another shot to the blonde’s shoulders for good measure. Forced into a shambling retreat when all she really wanted to do was rest, Mallory made it less than a quarter of the way around the nest before Winterrest CRAAACKED her across the pit of the left knee. It wasn’t a Chopblock but it sure as hell buckled Slade’s legs just as effectively. Presented with the glorious gift of her enemy’s defenseless back, Elise raised the leather high overhead only to drop it a second or two later.



“The time for running is past, beastie.” Winterrest cooed. “Now is the time to turn and fight for your life… or to simply roll over and die.”



Mal was too exhausted to raise her head, but she managed to shake it ‘no’ easily enough. “I’ll never roll over for you, Elise. Never. If you want to be queen of the Jungle you’re going to have to take my throat in your jawSSGGGGUUURRRRHHHHK!” Elise straddled her foe’s back, grabbed her biceps and tugged them backward while simultaneously sinking into a deep crouch. A simple Chinlock would’ve made it a damned effective Camel Clutch, alas, Ms. Murder was thinking something far less pleasant, which explained why she stretched a short length of strap across the blonde’s chin and puuuuuuuuuuulled.



“We both know I could take your throat right now, if I wanted.” Winterrest told the gurgling grappler. “But I don’t want your blood staining the snow, that’d be far too easy. No Mallory, I don’t want to end you,” she pulled back on the wickedly augmented Clutch and dragged the leather back n’ forth across the blonde’s chin in apparent contradiction of her words, “what I want is for you to bend the knee. To willingly cede the Jungle and all other territories you hold dear to me. In short, my lovely little kitten, I want to TAME THE TIGRESS!” Winterrest thrust the strong curve of her glutes into the already strained hollow of Slade’s lower back and wrenched back on the Camel Clutch hard enough to make the whole crowd moan.



Ever the professional, Al didn’t say a word, though his silence was more a matter of dutiful training rather than a lack of sympathy for his charge. “What do you say, Mal?” he’d sank to one knee beside the rivals. “Do you need me to call it? Just say the word and this can be over.”



“Yes Mallory, just say the word.” Elise taunted. “Say it while you can still muster something other than a screaeeerrrggggghhhh, oh, you’ll be sorry for that you tacky slut.”



Mallory’d worked one arm clear of her tormentor’s knees and promptly filled that hand with the American’s dark locks. Her head tilted to one side by the force of Mal’s tugging, Elise slid the strap a couple inches north and pulled it tight across the Aussie’s mouth, perhaps trying to transform her from tigress to pony. Whatever the intent, it didn’t draw a submission from the trapped lovely. Instead she smacked her trapped hand against the underside of Elise’s smooth thigh and dug in until the brunette’s breath hitched in her throat.



Al noted it and asked, “What about you, Elise? You hanging in there?”



“Far better than our desperate, striped friend, Mr. Carpenter. Pay close attention now, the end is nigh.”



Nigh or otherwise, Slade’s predicament grew that much more dire when Elise slid the strap from across her mouth to just under the bridge of the nose. “I’ll break it or grind it off, Slade. Go ahead, hold out and see if I’m lying!” She jerked up and back and Mallory sobbed in anguish, the tears pooling at the corners of her eyes before spilling down her cheeks. The crowd was all but silent, so Winterrest heard the plink-plink-plink of tears on canvas quite clearly. “Check her, Carpenter. “It seems our little Tigress may prefer to die in the trap rather than admit she’s helplESSAAAARRRRRRGHHHHH!”



Except Mallory wasn’t helpless quite yet. Elise learned this the hard way when the captive Tigress cranked her head back just far enough to let the leather strap slip up over her nose. Head free, she lunged forward and sank her teeth into the meat of Winterrest’s hand like she hadn’t eaten in days! Forgetting all about her promise to maim when her own extremities were in peril, Ms. Murder curled her free hand into a fist and pounded punches against the back of Mal’s head until the gutless savage finally spit her out. Winterrest had expected Slade to crawl away as fast as she could, imagine her displeasure when Mallory rolled onto her back and wrapped a hand around her throat. Squeezing like there wasn’t a referee looking over her shoulder, the wounded Aussie reached up with her other hand and raaaaaaaaaked the brunette’s eyes as slowly and painfully as she could.



There’s a long held belief in the schoolyard (and numerous other arenas) that bullies can’t give what they dish out, that most will cave like a sandcastle in the rain as soon as someone stands up to their tyranny. While this was true enough in most circumstances, certain bullies respond to defiance with even greater displays of violence. Unfortunately for Mallory Slade, Elise Winterrest occupied this latter category. Shrieking in pain as the Tigress used her face like a scratching post, Elise palmed Mal’s head in both hands, yanked it off the mat and BWUNKED it down as hard as she could. Slade ‘nnnggggghhed’ but kept on raking, so Winterrest bounced her noggin again. And again. And again. More than half a dozen times in all before the glassy-eyed blonde called off her attack to grab at her attacker’s wrists.



All but certain the feral idiot wouldn’t listen to reason no matter how dire her situation, a fuming, red-faced Elise coiled Mallory’s ponytail around one fist and focused on the fans instead. “Have you seen enough, yet?” she snapped. “Are you properly horrified at the punishment and humiliation I’ve unleashed upon this foolish creature tonight? Well I hope the answer is no, because I’m not finished yet and this is all your doing!”



Peeling Slade off the canvas, Winterrest spiked a knee into her tummy, then slipped her arms under those tanned biceps and locked her hands to secure the Double Underhook. Control thus established, Elise led the Mallory around the perimeter until they were directly in front of the Jungle Dwellers who’d rushed the cage a few minutes prior. Back to the links, Ms. Murder looked over one shoulder to favor them all with her cold, callous gaze. “Savor these moments, children. For they are the last time you’ll see Mallory Slade as the ferocious beast you loved and cheered. The next time you see her she’ll be just like you. Hollow and broken, a shell of her former self!” The last word was still on her lips when Elise dropped her knees and bridged up n’ over to BWAAAANG Slade’s defenseless back into the steel cage!



MURDEROUS BUTTERFLY:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEw-6vjeH6E



On any other night Winterrest would’ve administered this ‘Murderous Butterfly’ in the turnbuckles and allowed her prey to land hard on the back of their head and shoulders. Tonight however, she kept her hands locked and used what little give the cage offered to swing Slade back to start. She would’ve taken a knee if Winterrest had let her go, but the Icy Manipulator kept her hooks in deep and less than three seconds later she bounced the blonde’s body off the chain-links with a second truncated Suplex. The fans were angry now, some of them pleading or outright demanding that Carpenter step in to stop the abuse.



Al understood their distress all too well, he’d encountered it on more than one occasion when Jenny was in a bad spot. But understanding didn’t mean there was anything to be done and so he stayed silent while Elise battered her prey’s back against the cage with three more Suplexes over the course of about fifteen seconds. Finally backing away from the steel after the last Suplex landed, Winterrest spun around to better behold the baying throng. “Mine is the only law in the Jungle.” Elise told them. “And soon it will be the only law in all of FAWN.” With that she hoisted Mal upside down, kicked her legs forward and dropped straight back to THWHUNK the Tigress’s skull into the thinly-sheathed plywood with Murder Most Foul. Fading from hopeful to near silence as soon as Slade flopped onto her back, the fans cringed, but forced themselves to watch when Elise slid across her prey’s chest and hooked the far leg for…



MURDER MOST FOUL:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnYuqZbEoXY



ONE…

TWO…

THRENOOOOOOOO!



Mallory inched a shoulder off the mat with a whisper to spare and just like that the noise rushed back full force, most of it coming from Elise. “ARE YOU INSANE, CARPENTER?” Winterrest roared at the ref, who looked almost as shocked as she did. “THE WOMAN IS DEFENSELESS, DO I HAVE TO CRIPPLE HER BEFORE YOU’LL END THIS FAR--”



“Nuuuhhhh… not defenseless… bytch.” Elise turned slitted, hateful eyes to Mallory, who’d struggled to one knee while the American argued with the ref. “Just wounded. And you know what they say about wounded animGGGRRRRHH!”



Winterrest snatched her hair, yanked her up and slapped on a second Double Underhook. No proselytizing this time, Elise just crouched down and “WHOOAAAAAHHH!”



Instead of a double homicide, the crowd was treated to Mallory muscling the brunette into the air with the clasp still in place! Denied most of her usual counters because Elise still owned her arms, Mallory turned her back, excuse me, their backs, to the cage, then hit full reverse and BWAAANGED Ms. Murder into the steel. Sandwiched between the barrier and the blonde, a groaning Elise tightened her grip and made Mal pay for her tenacity by pounding a few awkward knees into the Aussie’s shoulders and head.



“Not good enough, Winterrest, not anymore.” Slade muttered under her breath. “I can smell your blood now.” Mallory stamped forward, hurled herself back. BWANG! Stamped forward, hurled back. BWANG! Stamped forward, hurled back BWANG! THWUNK! After the third, Slade took a single step and dropped to her butt, effectively spiking the brunette’s skull with an inside-out Deschain Driver.



Elise landed stacked on the back of her head and shoulders but the Tigress of Tallong didn’t go for a pin. Instead she took a deep breath and relished the soft grunts and moans coming from her opponent. From the outside, someone shouted, “WHIP HER RAW, MALLORY!” Another immediately piped up with, “YEAH, SHE DESERVES IT! WHIP HER MEAN ASS ALL YOU WANT!”



Slade looked at the leather strap Elise had dropped not three feet from where she sat and was tempted. So tempted in fact that the fingers on her left hand twitched in anticipation of the punishment it could dole out. After a moment, she shook her head ‘no’. “I don’t need that thing to beat her.” Mal said without turning her head. “You and the cage are all I need.”



There was a bit of grumbling over that, but it faded into nothingness the instant Malloy pulled the Icy Manipulator upright and THWHUMPED a Kneelift into her crotch. “Sure you don’t want that strap, Mal?” Al’s tone was dry and remarkably non-judgmental as Slade welcomed the brunette into a Standing Headscissors.



“Oh, I’m gonna take it as a trophy, don’t worry about that.” Slade confirmed after securing a Double Underhook of her own. “But I’m not gonna let some strap have the gift of spanking this savage bytch. That pleasure’s all mine.” The zebra couldn’t argue that so he cleared off to give Mallory more than enough room to hoist / lift Elise up onto the ball of her left shoulder in an extremely unpleasant arch. Jerking on those captured arms even as she rocked up and down, Slade said, “It’s over, Elise. Submit or bleed.”



Winterrest shook her head and kicked her feet, landing a few erratic shots to the small of her attacker’s back. “Bullshyt.” she spat. “You don’t have what it takes to WHOAANNNNGGGHH!”



With the Mainer’s head pointed at the cage, Mallory charged and BWAAANGED her defenseless skull into the chain-links. Hardly satisfied, the Tigress staggered backward and repeated her murderous battering ram technique. With her arms trapped and her back bent, Elise was all but defenseless and what little resistance she could offer faded after four brain-rattling collisions. Slamming Winterrest’s head three more times for good measure, Mallory marched away from the outer cage and started to spin in a circle. On their feet as the Icy Manipulator finally got what was coming to her, the Jungle Dwellers let loose with a resounding cheer when Slade swung Elise forward and down and dropped to her butt to THAWHAM her face, chest and tummy-first into the mat with the Gobstopper.



GOBSTOPPER:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvTuc4uqDgA



Having noted the smear of crimson on Winterrest’s forehead before anyone else, Al slid in beside the competitors ready to make the deciding count, but Slade didn’t go for a cover, in fact she didn’t even bother to shoot the Half Nelson. As mystified as the fans and in a far better position to get an answer on the topic, he asked, “What’re you doing, Mal? Cover her for Chrissakes!”



“I’ve pinned her before, Al.” the Aussie sighed as she struggled to boot leather. “Submitted her too. Each time she came back like it was nothing. I’m not gonna let that happen again.”



Carpenter didn’t much care for the sound of that and his mood didn’t improve when Slade grabbed the brunette by the ankles and draaaaaaaaaaagged her toward the interior cage. “I know she’s hurt you,” the ref said cautiously, “but I can’t let you injure her. If the roles were reversed I’d do the same for you.”



The Tigress nodded understanding even as she backed into the sheet of dangling, mismatched links that made up the heart of the Spider’s Nest. “I know you would, Al. That’s why I trust you’ll know when to call it off.”



Done with the ref for now, Mallory twisted sideways and quickly picked out a pair of good sized links a little above waist-level. Then she quickly and carefully worked Winterrest’s boots through the holes and pushed them down at such an angle that Ms. Murder would have a helluva time getting out under her own power. Even so, she wasn’t about to underestimate her nemesis at such an important moment, which was why she strode over to the strap that’d scored her earlier in the battle. Picking it up brought more cheers from the Jungle Dwellers and make no mistake, Slade was once again sorely tempted to tan her American adversary until the bell started ringing.



In the end she decided against mindless brutality in favor of wrapping the strap around Elise’s ankles more than half a dozen times before binding them together in an ugly, altogether inescapable knot. “Now what?” Al asked, once again speaking for the fans.



Slade gave him a brilliant smile. Now I show her who runs the Jungle.”



Much closer to the canvas, Elise Winterrest put both hands on the mat and pushed up only to realize her knees weren’t touching the mat. “Whuuuu…. what the hell is NNNGGGHHH!”



Mallory planted a foot on either side of the brunette’s hips and dropped into a crouch that slammed her tush into the hollow of Elise’s back. Such an impact did nothing for the Icy Manipulator’s awkwardly stretched frame, nor did her temperament improve when the blonde grabbed her biceps and pulled her arms up and back over the slim curves of her thighs. “Tuuuuhhhh….had to tie me up, huh?” Elise grimaced as her lower back was strained beneath the Tigress’s weight. “Far more creative than I’d expect from you, kitten, but it’s not going to save EERRGGHH NO! NO! DON’T YOU GUUUURRRRRHHHHKKKAAAAAAAAAAGGGGHHH!”



Slade slipped her left arm under Elise’s left bicep and wrenched the limb up in a Half Nelson. In the same breath she reached across the brunette’s face with her free hand, snatched that flapping left wrist and jerked Winterrest’s snug against her own windpipe to complete the fusion of Cobra and Camel she called the Platypus Clutch.



Wreeeeeeeeeeenching on the Cobra while simultaneously bouncing her bum into Elise’s defenseless spine, Mal rocked back to the point of balance, a shift that bent her prey into a hellacious ’C’ while also denying her oxygen.



Eyes closed to prevent blood from obscuring her vision, Elise slapped Mallory’s head as hard as she could, then caught hold of opposing ponytail when that didn’t work. “Let. Go.” she demanded in the midst of trying to scalp the grimacing blonde.



Slade didn’t let go.



She cranked the Cobra Clutch that much tighter and started grinding her tailbone in the hollow of Winterrest’s back. “No way out of this trap, Elise.” Mal hissed through clenched teeth. “Submit!”



Elise, her face red from reasons only partially related to spilled blood, rasped, “NO!” and kept right on pulling. “Yeeerrrrrrr…. nnnngggh…. you still… still don’t have what it takes, SladeEERRRGAAAHHHHH STAAAAAAAAHHHPPP! STAAAAAAAHP I QUIT! I QUIT!”



Mallory heard but paid it no mind, she was too busy gnawing on Ms. Murder’s forehead to be bothered with such frivolities. It wasn’t until the bell CLANGED and Al Carpenter practically tore her off the other wrestler that she realized the battle was over.



Appreciating the feel of Elise’s blood in a way she’d never admit to anyone, Mal turned her head to one side and spat pink on the canvas as the disembodied voice of the Announcer called, “Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via submission… MALLORY SLADE!”



Carpenter raised her hand without hesitation, though afterward he leaned in just long enough to whisper, “Celebrate all you want, but Elise is off limits. Understand?” He needn’t have worried, Slade was finished with the brunette the instant she spat the blood from her mouth. Purposely not looking back at her trapped, bleeding rival, Mallory limped over to nearest camera and sent a message to everyone watching on the other side.



“The Jungle’s as safe as it’s ever going to be, which means it’s time for me to move on. Be warned, ladies. The Tigress is headed south very soon and if you don’t know what that means…” she stepped back and stretched her arms wide, prompting the Jungle Dwellers to bellow, “’IT’S TIME TO HUNT!’



Slade grinned, it was still quite pink. “What they said. See you soon, ladies.”



********



The carnage of the Spider’s Nest was still fresh in everyone’s mind when the Madhouse’s vaunted flying camera sped away from that dubious structure and made its way down a series of poorly lit industrial hallways before veering into a dubious freight elevator. The interior of the dusty space was prosaic save for an industrial sign plastered above the panel of buttons. This didn’t warn against occupant capacities or weight limits however. It noted:



Here There Be Monsters.



Woe to anyone who wanted to heed the warning because the doors abruptly wheezed shut and the elevator chugged down, down, down, nearly a full minute of down before rattling to a stop. The camera wasted no time escaping the narrow confines and despite coming out in the grimiest hallway yet, it showed no hesitation in blazing a trail. Half a dozen more turns followed and then the journey ended in front of a door with a brass panel that read:



Abandon All Hope



Either fearless or foolish, the camera eased inside and found itself in the dark, festering heart of the Madhouse.



As luxurious as the name would indicate, the ‘Queen’s Chambers’ were large enough to include a second floor that was reached by means of a wide staircase at the center of the room. The paneling was all dark wood, the carpet was deep wine red pile with an intricate vine pattern and the décor was pure Charles Addams. To the left of the staircase were several shelves full of antique books and odd curios. Alongside these treasures were vases that could’ve been pilfered from any number of ancient tombs and a line of marble busts, presumably of some individuals famous enough to earn such immortalization. To the right of the staircase laid a relatively warmer area with a large glassed in fireplace ringed by a few overstuffed couches. Another interesting detail on this side of the room was a curious set of double doors, which seemed to vibrate and tremble in their frames if you watched them long enough. Empty on first glance, a familiar figure suddenly appeared from somewhere off camera.



Looking like he couldn’t quite figure out who he’d pissed off to pull double duty on such an ominous occasion, Al noted the camera, nodded and tapped his earpiece. Unseen speakers clicked on and the disembodied voice of the Announcer said, “Ladies and gentlemen it is time for our Main Event. The following contest is scheduled for one fall with no time limit and it is for the Queen of the Madhouse title! Introducing first, representing the Church of Eternal Midnight she stands at five feet six inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and nineteen pounds. She is the reigning and defending Queen of the Madhouse, this is ADELAIDE BREWSTER!”



ADELAIDE BREWSTER:





A door on the second floor ‘creeeeeeeeeaked’ open and Adelaide padded into view at the top of the stairs. Choosing an appropriately regal attire for this special occasion, the Daughter of Darkness wore matching royal purple bra & panties in crushed velvet. Footwear of any sort was frowned on in the Queen’s Chambers, but Brewster had wrapped her ankles (and wrists) in black tape to safeguard against sprains and whatnot. Descending the stairs in appropriately regal fashion, the True Believer reached the base of the stairs and regarded the official.



“Back again, I see. Didn’t get enough carnage last year?”



“I’d had enough carnage five minutes ago.” Carpenter muttered. “Guess everyone else is off tonight.”



“I appreciate your willingness to endure such horrors.” Adelaide cooed. “Any idea what poor soul was foolish enough to face me?”



The ref shook his head ‘no’. “Only that it’s not Jenny.”



“She’s wiser than I give her credit for, Mr. Carpenter. I would have--” Brewster broke off as a knocking filled the dim space.



“Is that--”



“Someone’s at the door.” the brunette said. “Do come in!” she added in a much louder tone.”



The visitor / challenger pushed the doors open, stepped inside and was greeted by flood of surprised and satisfied cheers As startled as everyone else, Al tapped his earpiece and murmured to the techs, who relayed it to the disembodied Announcer. “And introducing the challenger, representing the Black Court, hailing from Glen Echo, Michigan, she stands five feet seven inches tall and weighs in at one hundred and thirty one pounds, she is the Raven… LENORE LEMARCHAND!”



LENORE LEMARCHAND:





Eyes locked on the Queen of Nightmares (who was in turn staring a hole through her) Lenore held her hands palms in, hooked her thumbs together and held them high overhead. The sigil was returned by a great deal of the folks watching in the regulation arena a couple floors up, not to mention the Jungle Dwellers still chilling in the Spider’s Nest. After a moment she lowered the Raven, stepped forward and eased the doors shut with her foot. “That’s better.” she said once the light from the hall was gone. “Sorry I didn’t RSVP. I thought you’d prefer the surprise.” For her first ‘title match’ this year, the Fair & Radiant Maiden sported a strappy bra and equally sturdy panties both in deep, midnight blue. Like Adelaide, she had black tape wound around her wrists and ankles Her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail to start, but she tugged it out and slipped it around one wrist before she strode over to the Queen and the zebra.





BWOOOOONG!



“I can’t tell you how delighted I am to see someone of your…proclivities… rap-tap-tapping at my chamber door, Lenore.” Adelaide said with a cold smile. “Two of my three challengers have been spirited, but woefully unimaginative blondes and the other, while entertainingly damaged, couldn’t defeat me even with help.”



Lemarchand, who still hung out with Calliope regularly despite the stink eye she got from Eve, arched an eyebrow. “I don’t recall that being a handicap match, Adelaide.”



Brewster chuckled softly. “Surely you didn’t forget poor Candice showing her face in an attempt to wrest this place from my control? Alas, no version of that woman, sane OR insane, was enough to unseat the Queen of the Madhouse.”



Lenore dipped her head in mock sympathy. “Sounds to me like the burden of running this place is starting to grind you down, Adelaide. Don’t worry, I’m happy to take it off your hands.”



“Oh, I shall NEVER tire of running this place, little Raven. I do however enjoy your bold, if doomed bravado. The truth is, I’ve got a spot over the fireplace reserved for your pretty little trunks.” She reached out with one hand, hooked a finger into Lemarchand’s waistband and stretched the material out before ‘snapping’ it against the other brunette’s tummy.



Lenore’s left hand tensed, though she refrained from swatting the intrusion away. “Aaaaaaahhh, that explains it, then.” the Courtier said without moving.



“Explains what?”



“Why Miranda gave me her blessing in this match. Losing to Cosworth clearly unmoored you from reality, so your fearless leader thinks another ass kicking will bring you back to-”



Brewster rocked Lenore back on her heels with a massive shove, then lashed out with a Backhand that might’ve split Lemarchand’s lip if she hadn’t caught the Churchgoer’s wrist at the last possible second. Squeezing Adelaide’s wrist until she felt the bones grind, Lenore murmured, “Don’t EVER mistake me for the other women who strolled through here in the last three years, Adelaide.” She tossed the Weeping Angel’s hand aside, braced a forearm against her breasts and pushed off, forcing Brewster back a few steps. “And if you dare mistake me for Camille Cosworth, well…” Lemarchand let her glance flick toward the roaring fireplace. “It’ll be your briefs hanging over the mantle.”



Adelaide snarled, prepared to lunge, then straightened up and laughed. “Forgive me, Raven. The… frustration of Cosworth’s idiotic resistance has me lashing out when I shouldn’t. As I said earlier, I very much welcome your presence here and the challenge you represent. Perhaps you’d be interested in starting off with a Contest of Strength?”



Though wary of a cheap shot from the notoriously unpredictable Queen of Nightmares, Lenore was eager to prove herself against a woman to whom she’d drawn comparisons for years, so she raised her left hand overhead and curled her fingers in obvious acceptance.



Adelaide looked up at the proffered palm and smiled. “Suitable for the wrestling ring perhaps, but I had something a bit more… focused, in mind.” With that she reached a hand behind her back and undid the small clasp holding her top in place. Pulling it away without a word, Brewster tossed it aside, then reached out with one hand and rubbed the ball of her thumb over her opponent’s left nipple. “What do you say, oh Fair & Radiant Maiden? The Queen has doffed her armor. Will you do the same?”



Though she’d never be mentioned in the same breath as FAWN’s JMD terrors, Lenore Lemarchand had never lacked confidence in her frame or her abilities, so she brushed Adelaide’s hand away and quickly stripped off the simple black bra. Deafened to the noise this mutual disrobing had earned from the FAWNatics, Lenore stretched her arms wide, allowing the reigning Queen to take her buds between thumb and forefinger. She then did the same to Brewster, applying just enough pressure to let the Daughter of Darkness know she was in for a hellacious battle.



Taking a moment to savor the last bit of silence before the screaming started, Adelaide asked, “Are you ready?”



“Whenever you are.”



“Good. Try to hold in your surrender as long as you can. First one to her knees… will surely suffer some more.”



‘More’ was still on her lips when Adelaide pinched down and twisted her wrists in opposite directions! Sucking a gasp through clenched teeth, Lenore pinched, twisted and pulled, a tactic that had done wonders against a particularly buxom cheerleader during her junior year at Miskatonic. Brewster winced, twisted again, then stepped forward and went tummy to tummy with the other brunette.



“Is that all you’ve brought tonight?” she cooed. “If I closed my eyes I’d think I was still battling that peroxide huffer from Bost--”



Lenore flicked her wrists down and up twice in rapid succession, like a woman trying to smooth out a bed sheet. “Just getting started, Addy.” Lemarchand’s voice was bright and clear despite her own hurt. “Figured I’d set the mood by twisting the dials to K-BYTCH. All crying, all the timeerrrggggghhh!”



The Weeping Angel rolled Lenore’s nipples between thumb and forefinger and pulled up and out, forcing her rival onto tiptoes. “Somehow I knew that would be your favorite station.” she taunted. “In fact it sounds like you’re singing their number one song right naaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!”



Emily’s Lady in Waiting smashed Adelaide’s bounty against her sternum, then pulled out and jerked down, Adelaide cried out, lost her balance and dropped to her knees. Unfortunately for Lenore she didn’t lose her grip on the Raven’s bounty, meaning she dropped to the carpet as well. “You took the knee first, my queen.” Lenore pinched even harder, trying to get tears from the sturdy brunette. “Perhaps its time we talked abdicatiONNOOOOOWWWWWWW!”



Brewster brought her nails into the mix and that combined with a murderous pull was enough to break Lenore’s hold on her nipples. Teeth bared in triumph, Adelaide bull-rushed the challenger onto her back, then straddled her waist and kept right on tweaking. “I will make my throne on your whimpering face, little Raven! But not before I make you beg to have these pathetic mockeries bAGUUUHHHHRRRRK!”



Understanding that the anguish in her tits meant that Brewster’s hands were occupied, Lenore crooked her left hand into a C-shaped talon and jammed it into the Churchgoer’s mouth! Additionally she cupped her left hand over Adelaide’s right breast and went to work on the whole orb with hateful-white knuckled intensity.



Far more concerned about the Mandible Claw than the new attack on her bounty, Adelaide released one of her pincers and promptly SLAPPED the challenger’s face not once, but twice! Lenore hissed and jammed her thumb into the shelf of Brewster’s jaw, drawing an angry gurgle from the Queen. Resigned to the fact that Lemarchand wouldn’t give up her claw without proper motivation, the Weeping Angel doubled down on her remaining titty twister and sent her other hand north to clamp down on her attacker’s wrist. More than happy to mangle in order to achieve her goals, Adelaide gouged her nails into the underside of Lemarchand’s wrist until she was able to wrench the Claw free in a spray of curses and saliva.



“An excellent effort, little Raven.” Brewster sneered at the pinned battler. “But in my domain you’re destined to the same fate as the rest of the chatEERRRAAAAHHHH!”



Oh so happy to fight as vicious as Adelaide wanted, Lenore let loose of her rival’s breast and grabbed the front of her waistband instead. A quick, heartless jerk lifted the lycra more than six inches and forced the Queen of Nightmares off her perch so she could deal with her traitorous togs. Clearly relieved to be free of the other brunette’s talons, Lenore rolled onto her belly, pushed to her knees and rubbed the worst of the sting away.



Adelaide meanwhile clambered up onto one of the overstuffed couches seated before the roaring fireplace and made a few careful adjustments to her distended briefs. Ready for another skirmish after a quick inspection of her chest, Brewster rose to her feet and said, “An excellent first engagement, my ebon winged adversary. But in the end you’ll share the same humiliating fate as all the other pretenders.” She smiled and crooked one finger, beckoning the Courtier to join her.



Lemarchand flicked her bottoms back into place, then accepted the invitation. Catching sight of a vaguely familiar pair of double doors several yards beyond the other brunette, Lenore tipped her chin in that direction and said, “Is it still raining in the solarium?”



Brewster’s smile was that of a proud, if not slightly sadistic, homeowner. “It’s ALWAYS raining in the solarium, dear. Why do you ask?”



Lenore’s smile wasn’t exactly friendly either. “I’ve always wanted to make a bytch submit as thunder crashed overhead.”



“Come then, little Raven.” Adelaide cooed. “Add your tears to the storm!”



Lemarchand closed fast and lunged even faster despite the nagging threat of a sneak attack from her opponent. She needn’t have worried, Brewster welcomed her into the Collar & Elbow Lock-Up with open arms, the two sturdy brunettes pushing close enough for their tummies to met with a heavy ‘smeck!’ Technically sound at the outset, the clench soon took on a cattier aspect as Adelaide buried one hand in Lenore’s hair and applied the other to a second round of vile nipple twisting. Teeth bared against the bright pain, Lemarchand retaliated with her own hair-pull but rather than go for her attacker’s rack she sent her free hand south and grabbed hold of Brewster’s dark red waistband.



Grimacing a little as the wedgie cut deep between her glutes, Adelaide smirked and leaned in close, presumably to get at the other brunette’s neck. Not about to leave herself open to such an attack, Lenore shifted her head slightly and just like that the wrestlers were grinding forehead on forehead. “Got you outgunned, bytch.” the Daughter of Darkness whispered in the midst of ravaging her foe’s nipple. “Your tit will give way before my briefs do.” She emphasized the point with a particularly unpleasant pinch.



Lenore hissed in pain, then made Adelaide do the same by wrenching her neck backward at a violent angle. “I’m not trying to saw you in half just yet, tramp. I just needed the right leash to lead you around!” Adelaide didn’t get to answer before Lemarchand tugged back on her bottoms while simultaneously wedging a shoulder against the other brunette’s tits. It wasn’t exactly pretty, but it started them moving and after that it wasn’t long before Brewster’s shoulders and butt thumped against the double doors. They bounced a little but didn’t give way, which prompted a grunt from Lenore and a laugh from Adelaide.



“Don’t you see, little Raven? You don’t have the strength of will to run this place? The Queen’s Chambers only respond to MY whims!” With that she raised one foot and stamped on Lenore’s toes once, twice, thrice! The Raven yelped and hobbled backward only for Adelaide to double down on her hair hold and whip around in a half circle, thus reversing their position. The doors didn’t give way for the Weeping Angel, not that it bothered Brewster in the slightest. Moving her hands from Lemarchand’s hair to her wrists, Adelaide jerked them over the other woman’s head and SHUMPED a quick Kneelift between her thighs! Pressed close to keep Lenore from slopping one way or the other, Brewster put her lips to the chattel’s ear and purred, “I’m not quite thirsty enough for a drink, but who doesn’t love shots on Halloween?”



Her response time noticeably slowed by the Low Blow, Lenore didn’t have the strength to keep Adelaide’s muzzle from the side of her neck. “Don’t even think about taking a bite out of me you bYYEERRGAAAAAHHH!”



Adelaide thought, then did, sinking her teeth deep into the undefended flesh. Kissing the pink welt when she was done, the Daughter of Darkness tangled a hand in Lenore’s hair and BANGED the back of her skull against the double doors. “One kiss. One scream.” she explained to the wounded brunette. “Now the solarium doors will open for you, little Raven.” With that Brewster yanked Lemarchand away from the door, took a few steps backward and then whirled around to make sure she had a good head of steam built up when she slung her through the-- there was a heavy ‘THUD!’ followed by a surprised “UNNNGGGH!” which was itself followed by a creak and a crash of thunder when Lenore reversed the toss and sent Adelaide to the doors in her place!



Striking the antique wood shoulder-first, Brewster knocked them open, stumbled and went down on all fours. “Impudent bytch,” Adelaide put a hand on her aching shoulder to rub away the worst of the pain, “you’ll pay dearly for this insuTAAAHHHHHHHH SHYT!”



Stalking in from the other brunette’s left, Lenore stepped over Adelaide’s lower back with her right leg and dropped to one knee, effectively wedging her beneath the sinewy limb. Soon as that was done she curled her right hand into a claw, reached between the True Believer’s thighs and wrought a terrible vengeance on Brewster’s undercarriage. Adelaide wailed, tossed her head back and wailed again as Lemarchand grabbed hold of her hair and tugged hard. “What’s wrong, Adelaide?” Lenore taunted as she continued to squeeze and maul and grope. “Is the big, bad, bat not strong enough to endure the Raven’s talon?” The Fair & Radiant Maiden added her thumb to the attack, eliciting another hiss from Adelaide in the process.



Al Carpenter hurried up right about then and Brewster killed the question on his lips with nothing more than a glare. “Unleash the vilest terrors at your disposal, Lenore, it doesn’t matter to me.” Adelaide growled. “Before the night is through I will strip you of your pride, your illusions and most importantly, those tawdry OOOOHHHHHH FAAAAAHK YOOOU!”



Lenore stopped clawing and started pinching, the crushed velvet of Brewster’s bottoms doing nothing to alleviate the searing pain. “Sounds like you’re the one losing your illusions, Adelaide.” She relinquished her grip on the other brunette’s hair but only so she could swat Brewster’s glutes in a domineering display of control. “You’re on your knees, ass in the air while I work your trunks and spank your ass. Not exactly befitting of a queen, don’t you agree? Why don’t you hand over the keys to this place before I humiliate you even more?”



This time Adelaide had to waggle a finger ‘no, no, no!’ when Carpenter asked if she wanted to quit. “This is MY kingdom, little Raven.” she growled. “And it will take more than your amateurish fumblings to NNNNGGGH!”



Lenore released the Crotch Claw, joined both hands into a single fist and THUMPED a Double Axehandle between her foe’s shoulders. Brewster’s forehead sagged to the damp tile floor, but she didn’t go down, which was just fine with the Raven. Rising up to face her opponent’s feet, Lemarchand leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Brewster’s waist and neatly hooked her calves under the other brunette’s armpits. Then she rolled over onto her back and pulled Adelaide on top of her, the Chruchgoer’s legs splayed to either side of Lenore’s head. Halving the Waistlock to give her a free hand, she purred, “Amateurish? Bat-Face, I think you are in for a world of hurt… or something worse.”



Arms pinned by the Raven’s legs, Brewster strained her head to lock eyes with Lemarchand. “Don’t you dare, bytch. That’s a game you can’t NNNNNNGGHUUHHH!”



Lenore slid her hand into the right leg-hole of Adelaide’s briefs and unleashed her savagery on the undefended terrain beneath. “Tell me something, Adelaide!” Al was almost shouting to be heard over the crash of thunder and Brewster’s wailing. “Can you continue?”



“She hasn’t killed me!” Adelaide growled through clenched teeth. “Of course I can continOOOHHHH YOU SLUT!”



Lemarchand smiled as her claw did the sort of damage an ash stake never could. “Made sure to watch that match you had with Deschain last year, Addy.” the Courtier told her panting opposition. “She set a pretty high bar when it comes to humiliating you, but I think I can--oh f*ck you I don’t think MMRRRRPPGGHHH!”



Brewster’s arms might’ve been neutralized but her legs were hers to control and she promptly raised her knees high, all the better to mash her feet into the Raven’s surprised face! Pressing her soles in as tight as she could, Adelaide set to work trying to wriggle an arm from beneath the other brunette’s legs. “Buuuhhhh… big mistake bringing her up, Lemarchand.” the Daughter of Darkness was still hitching because Lenore hadn’t relinquished the Crotch Claw even in the midst of a Foot Smother. “If I can’t avenge myself against her, I’ll be happy to do so against you!” A cry of triumph from Brewster as she finally wrenched her right arm clear of the Courtier’s leg. Sitting up as best she could, Adelaide grabbed hold of that evil, probing talon and tossed it away with a hiss of disdain.



The sudden shift had slid her feet off Lenore’s face, but with her arms no longer trapped Adelaide was in firm control of the tangle and she made Lemarchand pay with another white-knuckled twist of her nipples. “You’re going to grovel and beg like no one else before you, little Raven.” Brewster’s threat was punctuated by an especially loud crash that painted the inside of the solarium white for a split-second. “You’re going to tell the whole world that I am the Queen of this little patch of hell and that you’re nothing more than a pale imitation of the Weeping AngeEEERRRGHHHHH FAAAAAAAAHK!”



Having come to hate Adelaide’s fingers in a very short amount of time, Lemarchand twisted her head and took out that frustration on the other woman’s toes! Adelaide squealed, kicked her foot free of Lenore’s maw and scrambled away to make sure the vile bytch hadn’t hobbled her.



Abruptly free of her foe’s pincers, Lenore cupped her breasts for a few seconds before pushing her way to a seat. Pressed against the cool glass that made up one whole wall of the solarium, Adelaide brushed hair off her forehead and snarled, “Steady your nerves, Lenore, I can’t destroy what was never existed in the first place. Though I do so love your imitation of a woman with tits.”



The Raven scowled, got to her feet and started toward the Queen of the Madhouse. “Almost as much as I love your imitation of me. You’ve done it so well you’ve almost convinced people you’re your own wrestler and not some poor off-brand Raven.”



Adelaide’s eyes flashed and it had nothing to do with the storm. “This is my domain, bytch. In it, YOU are the imitation. YOU are the victim. YOU are--”



“About to slap the taste out of your mouth.” Lenore snapped. “You ready to go again or do you want to finish what I starGGGEERRRRHHHH!”



Brewster exploded off the wall, grabbed her challenger by the hair and THUNKED her forehead hard against the sturdy glass.



Lemarchand’s knees wobbled, but she steadied out quickly enough and slammed an elbow into the Churchgoer’s gut, unfortunately that only prompted Adelaide to pound a Forearm Smash across the back of her neck and follow up with a Back Rake that scored her from shoulders to buttock. Pushed up on tiptoe by the catty offense, Lenore tried to slip away from her attacker only to cry out when Brewster reached under her arms and clamped down on her breasts. Pressing in close to wedge the other brunette against the gleaming glass, Adelaide plucked and tweased her opponent’s nubs until Lenore whimpered with pain. “Get used to it, little Raven.” she took the lobe of Lenore’s left ear between her teeth and bit gently. “This is the sort of torture, degradation and shame that will become your life each and every time you dare face me.”



“Duuuhhhhhh…. do your worst, Brewster.” Lemarchand’s response was thick with pain as Adelaide continued the all out war on her nipples. “Because I’ll do so much more before we’re NGH!”



The Weeping Angel halved her pincer to grab a handful of hair, which she then used to TWUNK Lenore’s forehead against the glass. Switching over to a Waistlock when the Courtier started to sag, Adelaide twisted around and pushed forward just enough to make sure she wouldn’t smack the back of her head when she bridged up and THWHUMPED Lenore’s head, shoulders and upper-back against the glass with a brutally truncated German Suplex. Lemarchand hit hard, bounced off and would’ve dropped to her knees if Adelaide hadn’t wrapped her up in a brawny Side Headlock.



“I grow tired of this constant noise.” Brewster noted as she started strutting toward the entrance to the solarium. “I’m going to finish you somewhere I don’t have to strain to hear your screams over the fury of the storm.” Lenore replied with several stinging punches to the True Believer’s tummy, but Adelaide only squeezed harder and broke into a flat-out run. Dragged across the threshold in her opponent’s wake, Lemarchand could only brace for impact when the Daughter of Darkness hopped up and dropped to her butt, just THWONKING the other brunette’s forehead against the carpet with a huge Bulldog. Interested to see if this pretender had any fight left after such a powerful maneuver, Brewster rolled Lenore onto her belly and took a heavy seat on her chest. Thighs framed against the Courtier’s cheeks, Adelaide plucked and twisted those sore buds while Carpenter counted…



ONE…

TWO…

THRNOOOO!



Lenore got both hands against her attacker’s butt and pushed hard enough to force Brewster to all fours. “Perhaps you’re a little stronger than the others after all.” Adelaide mused as she scraped the woozy brunette off the floor with a double handful of hair. “And anyone who can survive an encounter in the solarium surely deserves to experience the wonders of the second floor.”



Her world little more than stars and fog following the Suplex and Bulldog, Lenore shoved Adelaide away as best she could and muttered, “I’d love to experience the wonders of you shutting your f*cking mouTTHHUUFFHH!”



The Queen of Nightmares smacked a heavy Side Kick into her opponent’s belly, then went right back to Lemarchand’s hair. Genuine in her desire to show the Raven what waited on the second floor, Adelaide marched to the foot of the stairs and forced her opponent’s face against the lovingly-polished handrail. “Perhaps not as abrasive as the traditional ring rope,” Adelaide cooed as Lenore started to squirm and protest, “but something tells me it will make your trip up the stairs quite memorable.”



With that, she pressed down on the back of Lemarchand’s head and started tromping up step by step by step. Sure enough, it didn’t grind and burn, but the smooth, unyielding surface mashed against the Raven’s cheek and jaw hard enough to make the Courtier’s eyes water. Far from a passive participant in her own torture, Lenore pounded her elbow into the Churchgoer’s ribs over and over again, but Adelaide kept moving until she’d crested the stairs. Wedged in against the curve of Lemarchand’s glutes (who was herself braced unpleasantly against the high railing overlooking the first floor), Brewster snatched a double handful of dark hair and THUNKED her forehead against the handrail half a dozen times.



“Hmmmmh, not nearly as much fight as I’d hoped for.” Adelaide chuckled as she sent Lemarchand stumbling into the wall with a dismissive shove. “Perhaps you’re not worthy of the second floor after all. Oh, Mr. Carpenter? Watch your footing.”



Al looked down, saw a faint line in the carpet and hopped clear a second before a quick double tap from Brewster’s foot popped the trapdoor open with a quiet ‘whump!’



Stationing herself between the Raven and the only way down to the Slime Pit seemed a questionable strategic decision to some, but Brewster wasn’t the Queen of the Madhouse for no reason and she proved it again when she intercepted Lenore coming off the wall with a straight right hand to the chops. The Courtier reeled, grabbed Adelaide’s shoulders for purchase. She allowed it, the proximity made it that much easier to dip her head under Lenore’s left arm while simultaneously hooking her own left arm across the other brunette’s chest. Right hand snatching hold of opposing waistband for leverage, Brewster straightened Lenore up and promptly THWHUMPED a meaty Kneelift deep into her tummy!



“OOOOFFFFHH!” Lemarchand’s rump shot backward and she probably would’ve been doubled over for quite a bit longer if not for the hooks at her shoulder and togs. As it was, Adelaide hammered another heavy shot into the undefended midsection, then wheeled her around and fired off three more in slow, methodical succession. Quite enjoying each new exhalation gasped onto her shoulder, Brewster slipped free after an even half dozen Kneelifts only to CRAAACK the other brunette across the cheek with a hateful Bytch Slap.



“Where’d she go, Lenore?” the Weeping Angel sneered. “Where’s the woman so different from all the others I’ve humbled and broken within these--”



Lenore interrupted with a Bytch Slap of her own, alas the body-bludgeoning assault had slowed her usually razor sharp reflexes and Brewster brushed it aside with time to spare. Twisting on her heel the instant she intercepted the slap, Adelaide came out the other side and THWHACKED her rival’s chin with a Rolling Elbow that earned sympathetic groans back in the FAWN Arena. The Fair & Radiant Maiden stumbled dangerously, but was still a few feet from that dangerous drop into THWHACK! Right shoulder pointed at her prey, Adelaide hopped forward and drilled her heel into Lemarchand’s cheek with a textbook Super Kick.



ROARING ELBOW & SUPER KICK:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq1pSK2ETi4



“Enjoy the fall, little Rav--”



A fortuitous lurch at the last possible second left Lenore clinging to the railing on the second floor instead of plummeting into the green goop in the hidden grotto below.



“You’ve gotta be f*cking kidding me.” Adelaide grumbled to no one in particular. Stalking over to the woozy wrestler, Brewster planted a Toe Kick in her gurgling tummy and followed that up with a Standing Headscissors. “It puts the slime on its skin or else it gets bitten again.” the Churchgoer cooed as she wrapped both arms around her rival’s waist.



“Ummmmhhh, Adelaide, could you NOT do what I think you’re- ooohh shyt.” Al Carpenter, good guy that he was, spoke for everyone watching at home when Brewster dipped her knees and flipped Lenore up onto her shoulders in the stall position for a Powerbomb.



Standing less than six inches from that precipitous drop, Adelaide murmured, “Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian ShoWHOOOAAHHH!”



Lemarchand ‘hupped’ up over Brewster’s head, tumbled down her back and slapped on a Waistlock as she passed by to transform the potential match-ender into a much more prosaic Sunset Flip. Of course with Carpenter marooned on the other side of the trapdoor it was impossible for him to count a pin. This would’ve irritated the Courtier if a cover’d been on her mind, as it was she merely smiled and PWAAAKED a short, heartless punch into her attacker’s crotch!



“AAAARRRGGGGGHHH! OH THAT’S IT BYTCH, YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT WITH OOOOOOHHH OOOOOOWWWWWW!”



Adelaide’s fiery rage gave way to impotent wailing when Lemarchand applied the claw between her thighs and squeezed for all she was worth. Seemingly oblivious to the other brunette’s squirming and writhing, Lenore’s voice was a cold, cruel shard of coming winter as she hissed, “Bytch, don’t you EVER quote Poe at me!”



Jaw clenched to choke off any more screams, Brewster sucked in air through her nose, then growled, “I’m gonna recite a whole f*cking anthology when I’m sitting on your face, little RaveNNNNGGH!”



Lenore jammed her knuckles against Adelaide’s center and grrrrrrrrrround it back n’ forth until her prey was wriggling like a snake with a broken back. “In situations like this I’m reminded of a quote by…” the Raven sighed and raked a hand through her hair. “You know what, f*ck it. I’m just gonna throw you in the damned hole.” With that she grabbed a double handful of Brewster’s hair, slid back and clambered to her feet with Adelaide doing the same, albeit quite a bit slower. Backing to within about three fit of the pit, Lenore dipped her head under Brewster’s right arm and wrapped both arms around the other woman’s waist. Hands locked, she dropped her hips and-- Adelaide leaned forward and bent her knees to block the toss.



“Duuuhhh… don’t even think about it, Lemarchand.” she grunted. “You’re the only trash going in that AAARRRGGGHH!”



Emily’s Lady in Waiting twisted her head into Brewster’s hip and treated her to a savage chomp! That loosened the True Believer’s stance considerably, meaning she couldn’t stop Lenore when she slung her up over and DOWN through the trapdoor! The live audience only saw her disappear into the darkness, it wasn’t until the replay switched to the stationary cameras arranged around the grotto that they witnessed the Daughter of Darkness plummeting into the sea of phosphorescent green muck. Brewster hit like a meteor, her impact sending out a large, gloppy tidal wave in every direction.



Somewhere a long way up, Lenore Lemarchand and Al Carpenter regarded the wounded Queen from opposite sides of the pit. Making no effort to keep the smile off her face, Lenore looked over at the official and said, “Your earpiece is a direct feed to the arena, isn’t?”



Carpenter didn’t take his eyes off Brewster, he was trying to confirm she was (relatively) ok after that hellacious landing. “It’s linked to the gorilla, yeah. But if you’re asking if I can hear the fans losing their shit, the answer is yes.”



“Oh, I KNOW they’re losing their shyt.” Lenore’s smile got a lot wider. “But if you think they’re loud now, I’d suggest you take it out for a minute or two.”



Down in the slime, Adelaide reached up and wiped a weary hand across her forehead. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to assuage the ref’s concern. It was only then that he processed Lenore’s last comment. “Why would I need to--OH FRAK!”



Lemarchand dove through the hole head-first, tucked her chin and dove down on her adversary in a sharp somersault that ended with her THWHUMPING down atop the Churchgoer’s chest! In the ring Lenore would’ve turned over and gone for a cover, down in the bowels of the slime pit she only hunched her shoulders and tried to fight off the worst of the aches.



Unpleasant as she felt, Adelaide was a whole lot worse off, the Weeping Angel damned near tears as she curled up on one side and slapped one foot in the green goop over and over and over again. “Yuuuuhhhhh…. you crazy f*cking bytch.” Brewster huffed. “You could’ve crushed my chest.”



“And you could’ve broken my neck, if you were actually good enough to land that Powerbomb.” Lenore snapped. “Guess we’re both lucky you’re sturdier than you look.”



Catching her breath was far more difficult than Adelaide would’ve liked, but that didn’t stop her from sitting up and grabbing a handful of the Raven’s dark tresses. “Be grateful you survived the fall too. This queen’s not about to sit on a broken throNNNNNGGHHHH!”



Lemarchand spun around on her butt, slid both legs around Adelaide’s waist and squeeeeeeeezed with all the hate she could muster. Brewster gasped and sucked in a deep breath, an instinctual, yet altogether bad reaction as it allowed the Raven to put that much more pressure on the Scissors. Quick to collect the other brunette’s wrists so she couldn’t slap or pinch her way out of the predicament, Lemarchand looked around in search of the official. “Where are you, Carpenter?! This bytch is about to give up!”



“That’s what you think, slunnnnnngghh faaaaaaahhhhhhh….” Adelaide moaned through clenched teeth as Lenore’s thighs cut that much deeper into her ribs.



“What do you say, Adelaide?” Al was still a distance away, but closing in much faster than one might expect because he’d had the sense to remove his shoes before descending the discrete little service ladder that let the officials reach the pit without braving the trapdoor. Kneeling beside the action a few seconds later, he added, “Can you continue? Just shake your head ‘no’ if you--”



“F*ck. Off.” the Weeping Angel growled. “This is MY kingdom. I’m not about to hand it over to this Black Court WhorAAARRRRGGGGHHH BYTCH!”



Lenore relaxed, then tensed her stems, the hardest constriction yet. “Watch what you say about the Court, Brewster.” the hard-eyed brunette threatened. “Emily and Miranda may have an understanding, but that doesn’t mean I have to tolerate your EEERRGGHHHNOOOMMMPPPPPHHHH!”



Lenore squeezed again, saw Adelaide’s jaw clench and watched a thin rill of crimson spill from the corner of her mouth. She was about to draw Al’s attention to this apparent internal injury when she realized what it actually meant. Closing her eyes even before she twisted her head to one side, the Fair & Radiant Maiden took the brunt of the Red Mist on her left cheek, but she could still feel it trying to run down into her eye, and far worse, Brewster wrenched her wrists from her opponent’s control.



Free to return Lemarchand’s torture with some of her own, Adelaide wrapped her arms around the other brunette’s head and stuffed her face-first into the deep, vengeful cleavage of her hulking rack. Hands gripping her own elbows for extra support, Adelaide jostled the Front Sleeper from side to side while simultaneously trying to break Lenore’s nose against her sternum. “YOU’RE DONE!” she bellowed less than ten seconds into the hold. “Surrender or I’ll destroy youOOOFFFHHH!”



The Courtier reminded Brewster of the Bodyscissors and emphasized the accumulated damage by pounding her fists into the Queen’s ribs over and over and over again. Adelaide wouldn’t relent though, she only bore down that much harder and leaned in so she could rest one slime-slick cheek on the top of Lenore’s head. “Squeeze all you want, little Raven.” she whispered. “You’ll run out of air before I OOOOOOOOWW YOU HATEFUL BYTCH!”



Caught in a trap with seemingly no way out, Lemarchand resorted to a tactic that’d saved countless predators throughout history. She chewed her way out. Gnawing and gnashing at Brewster’s encroaching juggs until the Churchgoer tossed her away in disgust, Lenore sucked in a deep breath, then sobbed in anguish when Adelaide pounded a short punch into her crotch.



Offering the darkness a red smile in spite of the nausea roiling deep in the pit of her stomach, Adelaide wriggled loose from the remnants of the Scissors and clambered into a high, high straddle that wedged the point of Lemarchand’s chin into the fork of her crotch. “It’s taken four years,” Adelaide said to the pinned, wriggling grappler, “but FAWN has finally mustered a worthy challenger. “While you don’t have the fortitude necessary to oust the Queen, you have earned far better than a whimpering surrender in this abysmal pit. Come with me, little Raven. It’s time I showed you the heart of this place.”



Lenore wasn’t in any mood to travel at the moment, but Adelaide wasn’t taking no for an answer, as she discovered when the Daughter of Darkness slammed yet another vile punch into her crotch. With Lemarchand looking as used and abused as she ever had during her FAWN tenure, Brewster helped herself to a double handful of hair and hauled the both of them to their feet. Transferring Lenore’s pate to a more traditional Side Headlock as soon as they were vertical, Adelaide turned in a half circle and started trudging toward a pair of flickering torches on the far wall.



Compelled to follow the action even though he couldn’t stand glorping through the slime, Al Carpenter kept his pace steady and his tongue silent until Brewster reached the far wall. Grinding Lenore’s temple tight against the point of her hip, the Queen of Nightmares looked to Al and asked, “If you wouldn’t mind, Mr. Carpenter.”



The ref looked from her to the apparently blank wall and back again. “If I wouldn’t mind what?”



Adelaide sighed, took out her irritation on Lemarchand by raking a claw across her forehead. “The left torch. Pull it down.”



Genuinely unsure of what was about to happen, Al wrapped his hand around the aforementioned torch and did as bade. There was an appropriately gothic groan, followed by a low rumble as a section of wall the size of a double door swung back onto the landing for a surprisingly wide set of stone stairs. “This has been here the whole time?” Al asked as he and the ladies stepped out of the slime. “How come the designers never told me?”



“A Queen doesn’t have to tell her servants everything, Mr. CarpenNNGGHHH!”



Lenore repaid Adelaide’s repeated attacks on her trunks with an underhanded grip to the undercarriage that grew tighter and tighter until Brewster was finally forced to toss her away. Hitting the wall shoulder-first, Lenore bounced off with a curse and would’ve pounced on the True Believer if the new surroundings hadn’t caught her eye. Careful to keep an eye on Adelaide, she wiped hair and slime off her forehead and looked around for a good five seconds. When she returned her attention to Adelaide, the Raven’s dark eyes were sparkling. “You crazy, extravagant, bytch. Is this what I think it is?”



Brewster smiled and let her tongue play across the points of her canines. “A near perfect replica of the crypt from Dracula in ‘31. The Count’s, pardon me, MY coffin waits below. I would love your opinion on the place before I put you to sleep for the night.”



Lenore pushed off the wall and though her back was to the stairs, she didn’t hesitate to bid the Queen forward. “Gonna be too busy to sleep tonight, Adelaide.” she said softly. “The thrill of redecorating does wonders that coffee never--”



CRAAACK! Brewster swiveled her challenger’s head with a Bytch Slap that seemed to reverberate off every stone in cavernous space. “YOU’RE the only new furniture in the crypt this year, little Raven. And I’m going to take my time in breaking you--”



Lenore stepped to the imperious brunette and lit up her décolletage with a Knife-Edge Chop that made the absentee audience wince in pain. “I never much cared for Van Helsing. And I didn‘t bother to bring a stake to a wrestling match.” Lenore admitted as she shook the tingle from her hand. “But if I have to play monster hunter just this once, I’ve got more than enough Chops to break your little black heart once and for all.”



Adelaide flipped slime-soaked hair out of her eyes and snarled. “You’ll be buried twice tonight, little Raven. Once in the coffin… and once beneath me.”



She came on fast then, the infuriated Churchgoer wrapping a hand around Lemarchand’s throat even as she resumed clawing her abused chest. More than willing to balance Brewster’s stranglehold with one of her own, Emily’s Lady in Waiting ignored the claw in favor of reaching around for a good grip on Adelaide’s waistband. Not only did it make for a hellacious wedgie, it also kept the other brunette close and (relatively) contained as they started stumbling and stamping down the curving staircase.



Carpenter followed along as close as he dared, the official careful to keep one hand on the wall and quite amazed that the brunettes made the descent without tripping over their own feet. This impressive balancing act only faltered on the very last step, when Adelaide abruptly shoved Lenore backward onto the hard-packed dirt floor. The drop was a short one, but Lenore’s knees shimmied in surprise, then knocked in despair when the Churchgoer THWHUMPED a Kneelift between her thighs. Switching over to a loose Waistlock even as Lemarchand sagged against her, Brewster claimed her foe’s wrists and bent them up between her shoulders in a Double Hammerlock rendered all but unbreakable when Adelaide snuggled in for a Bear Hug.



“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, little Raven.” the Queen of Nightmares murmured into her rival’s ear.



Lenore groaned and shook her head, knowing it had to be clear to defend against the looming humiliation. “Yuuuhhh…. you’ll wait longer yet, bytch. My neck’s not for ARRRRRRGGGGGHHH!”



Adelaide dipped her head, opened her mouth and sank her teeth into the side of Lemarchand’s neck. A hateful feeling already, it was made all the worse by the Hammerlock Bear Hug and the cold waves of nausea radiating up from her trunks. Lenore keened in spite of herself, a sound Brewster enjoyed very much. Still nibbling on the other brunette’s neck, Adelaide teased Courtier flesh with the tip of her tongue in hopes of earning another desperate moan. Only mildly disappointed when none was forthcoming, the Daughter of Darkness kissed the fresh welt, then drew back her head to better look Lenore in the eye. “You are an EXQUISITE vintage, Lenore.” she cooed. “One that I intend to savor many more times tonEERRRGGGGHHHH OOOOHHHH YOU HATEFUL CHEATING BYTCH!”



As much as she loathed Brewster’s touch, the Raven endured it for a very simple reason. If Adelaide’s face was buried in her neck, she wouldn’t notice Lenore crushing the capsule between her teeth. Missing that little detail proved quite costly when Brewster smiled into the chattel’s face and got blasted with a billowing plume of bright pink mist! Free of Brewster’s trap the instant the Mist hit home, Lemarchand cupped her left hand behind her foe’s head and THWACKED her right forearm across opposing chin in a European Uppercut. The stiff strike caught Brewster flush and she might’ve fallen backward onto the stairs if Lenore hadn’t caught a big handful of hair, which she quickly transitioned to a Wristlock. Tugging Adelaide into a short Shoulderblock to the sternum, the Raven leaned in and did some whispering of her own.



“Candice and Calliope send their love, Sparkles.”



“Yuuuuhhhh… you’re going to suffer for that insol--”



Lenore stepped back, dropped into a deep crouch and slung the True Believer across the crypt, which was bare save for cobwebs and half a dozen dark caskets, each on a stone bier about two feet high. The caskets were arranged in a ‘U’ configuration, meaning Brewster missed four and THWHUNKED spine-first into the one at the lowest point of the ‘U’. Elbows gouged into the wood to keep from falling over, Adelaide raised her head to snarl a threat only to discover Lemarchand was already airborne and closing in fast. Honed in on Brewster’s jaw, Lenore drew back her right arm and-- THWHACK! Sobbed in nearly silent anguish when the Daughter of Darkness spiked her between the tits with a vile Heart Punch.



Lenore’s wings deserted her and she fell to the floor, or would have if Adelaide hadn’t snagged her in a rough Front Facelock. Catching a handful of waistband with her other hand, Adelaide twisted so her left shoulder was pointed toward the casket, then kicked Lenore’s legs out from underneath and snapped backward to THWHUNK the crown of her skull against the dirt with a DDT. Lenore stretched out stiff as a board for two whole heartbeats then pooled out across the dirt. It was also the precise moment Adelaide shot the Half Nelson and rolled her over for a domineering one hand on tummy, one forearm across the jaw pin.



DDT:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymrCwnO3IDY



Always on point even in the creepiest gimmicks FAWN had to offer, Al Carpenter swooped in and counted…



ONE…

TWO…

THRENOOOOOOOO!



The lack of Cradle proved costly as it allowed the Fair & Radiant Maiden to ease a shoulder off the floor at the last possible second. Reared back on her haunches, Adelaide’s eyes flashed with rage before she regained control of herself. “Glad you’re still with us, little Raven.” she said to the slime and dust caked Courtier. “It means no one can accuse me of piling on.”



With that she got to her feet, stepped over Lemarchand and took hold of the brunette’s wrist and ankle. A short drag in the opposite direction gave Brewster all the space she needed and then some, not that the extra maneuvering room stopped her from planting one foot in Lenore’s tummy as she stepped on / over her rival. Ignoring the official’s questioning look as she turned around and braced her hands against the top of the casket, Adelaide boosted herself up into a seat, then slid back and stood tall. It wasn’t quite the top turnbuckle, but it still looked plenty high to those watching from safely upstairs. Her lips curled in a smile like charring paper, Brewster stretched her arms wide before she spoke. “And the Raven, still is weeping, still is weeping in the filthy dirt upon my chamber floor. And her eyes hold all the gleaming of a toddler than is keening, and the lamp light o’er her streaming shows her tears upon the floor. And her soul from out those tears that lie scattered on the floor, shall be lifted, Nevermore!”



The Weeping Angel leapt, tucked her heels in against her tush and grabbed hold of both ankles to ensure the points of her knees would spike Lemarchand’s belly when she “UNNNNNGGGGGHHHHH!”



Lenore rolled closer to the coffin, leaving Adelaide to THWHUNK her knees against the dirt in a murderously unpleasant landing! Aware of the nearness of her escape only through the pitch and volume of Brewster’s shrieks, Lemarchand reached up, fumbled around until she found a handhold and slooooowly pulled herself to a seat. Back resting heavy against the cool stone of the bier, Lenore sucked wind and merely watched as Brewster clambered into a similar position several feet away. The single difference was easy to spot, Lenore stared a hole through the True Believer whereas Adelaide only had eyes for her poor knees, which were scuffed almost raw after the ugly landing.



Literally biting her tongue to keep from saying anything, Lemarchand fought to her feet as quietly as possible, then whispered, “Hey bytch.” Adelaide looked up, Lenore charged and THWHACKED her between the eyes with a running Kneelift that seemed to echo off every nook and cranny of the gloomy space. Adelaide was knocked flat on her back, both legs stretched in a ‘V’, one arm tossed overhead and the other draped across her face.



RUNNING KNEE:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwTLuQ24DDM



If there was ever a pose that demanded ‘PIN ME!’ that was it, but Lenore only ‘flicked’ her togs against her glutes as she looked at the coffin. Quite certain that the crack team of weirdos and outcasts who built this place wouldn’t let her down, the Raven put both hands against the edge of the lid and pushed. It was heavier than she’d expected but not as heavy as she’d feared, indeed, it only Lenore less than five seconds to send the lid to the floor with a dusty BWANG!



“You know if this was a casket match you’d be really screwed.” Al noted as Lenore filled a hand with Adelaide’s hair. “There’s no way you can get that lid back in place by yourself.”



“Who needs a lid?” Lemarchand dragged Brewster to her feet, slapped on a Half Nelson, then grabbed a handful of trunks and muscled the Queen into the casket. “I’ve got everything I need right here.”



The beleaguered ref thought she was meant some other bit of Madhouse trickery, but the Raven’s plan was actually much simpler in execution. Once Brewster was laid out on the pink, down-stuffed silk lining, Lemarchand boosted herself up, swung a leg over and sat her tush firmly atop the other brunette’s forehead! Adelaide had been practically motionless since that knee landed between her eyes, now she jolted to life like someone touched with a live wire. Feet planted as best she could, Brewster bridged up and sank her claws into those encroaching glutes. T’was far from comfortable, as evidenced by the grimace on Lenore’s face, but the Courtier was used to countering wickedness with more wickedness and she did so again by curling her toes deep into her opponent’s hair. Adelaide squealed and raaaaaaaaaaaked her nails across Lenore’s backside, so the challenger flattened out both hands and SMACKED her gulping tummy once, twice, three times.



“It’s over, Adelaide.” the Fair & Radiant Maiden proclaimed as she wriggled her hips to set the seal a little deeper. “Either abdicate with some grace or I’ll make sure my first coup is a bloody one. UnderstanNNNNGGGRRRAAAHHFFFFHH!”



Short on breath and long on fury, Brewster gave up the claw holds for a wedgie so nasty it pushed Lemarchand forward enough for the struggling Queen to ‘smeck’ a Scissors around opposing head. Gifted with a few deep breaths that weren’t filtered through her opponent’s trunks, Adelaide twisted her head to the side while simultaneously working the wedgies and Scissors. “Yuuuhhhhh…. you’ve defiled my Madhouse for the last time, little Raven.” she growled over Lenore’s protestations. “So I’ll consecrate it atop your whimpering, beaten facEERRRRGGHHHHHHHH!”



The Scissors ended alongside Adelaide’s threats when Lemarchand crooked her left hand into a claw and secured it between her prey’s thighs. Breathing deep as she drew clear of the True Believer’s trap, Lenore kept squeezing even as she reached back with her free hand and snatched hold of Adelaide’s hair. “So you want a consecration, bytch?” Lemarchand sneered through clenched teeth. “I’ll do it with your tears!”



“GUUUHHHH… YOU’RE NOT GONNA DO SHYT YOU LITTLE BYTCH! THIS IS MY HOUSE AND YOU ARE MY NOOO MMRRRRRRRPPPGHHHHHHH!”



Lenore twisted the other brunette’s head to the side and sat down, burying her from nose to chin in that high, haughty backside. “You’ve been working my tits all night, bat-face.” Lemarchand huffed in between those sweeping grinds. “Think it’s time the new queen showed you how it’s done.”



With that she released the Crotch Claw, fashioned pincers of thumb and forefinger and applied them directly to Adelaide’s nipples! Brewster wailed into her tormentor’s undercarriage, a muffled, lost sound that did nothing but burn more oxygen. Showing smile as the pinned battler’s heels kicked and ground against the plush silk, Lenore applied even more tweak and twease, just pulling, jostling, rolling and twisting to make her rival waste her reserves that much faster.



Give the devil her due, Brewster held on for longer than anyone thought possible, the Daughter of Darkness clamped down on her opponent’s wrists in a desperate attempt to break the Raven’s talons. But Lenore was relentless and air was something for other people. After almost a minute in the hold she let go of Lemarchand’s hands and swatted first at her thigh, then at the side of the casket. Carpenter called for the bell at once, Brewster’s capitulation registering as the tolling of an appropriately grim clock. Lenore didn’t relinquish her perch though, not at the initial surrender and not when the Announcer’s voice piped in through the speakers.



“Ladies and gentlemen, your winner via submission and the NEEEEEEEW QUEEN OF THE MADHOUSE…. LENORE LEMARCHAND!”



Oh so tempted to ride Adelaide’s mug ‘forever more’ Lenore ultimately stopped grinding and released her claws so she could raise the Raven sigil to the cobweb festooned rafters. Silent until her breathing returned to normal, the newly crowned royal raked a hand through her hair, then patted Brewster’s defenseless crotch. “I could give you something to remember me by, but it’s hard to clean casket upholstery and frankly, I don’t think you’ve earned it.” She paused, shifted her weight and carefully slid from her perch to the floor. Wheeling around to regard Brewster one more time, she leaned in and traced a finger along the snoozing brunette’s jaw. “But tonight is all about tradition and tradition says former queens are allotted a certain amount of respect. So I’m going to give you one more night in the Madhouse, this crypt, specifically. I’ll be back first thing in the morning though and if you’re not gone… I’ll take you out with the rest of the trash.”



Brewster, sleeping the sleep of the not so dearly departed, made no answer, even when Lenore patted her cheek. Pleased by her benevolence, the stately Raven turned around and offered her arm to Al Carpenter, who took it only after giving her a FAWN t-shirt, which she promptly tossed over one shoulder.



“Jenny hassles me for this, you’re gonna hear about it.”



“Oh please, your eyes are straight ahead. Now stop whining and take me on a tour of my new acquisition.”



Al snorted, extended a hand toward the winding staircase. “This way, Lady Lenore. Your mansion awaits.”