Confessions of a Champion

[CaptainL]

Author's Note

This promo takes place after Astrid Arvidsson vs. Astrid Ostberg at We Are LAW 6.

One PPV had come and went, and with it, LAW's inaugural World Openweight Champion had not only been crowned, but witnessed her first title defense. It had been a long, hard, and grueling match, one where both women involved had pushed themselves to their limits. Both had displayed their burning desire to win, to succeed, and to survive, and the efforts they put forward in their bout stood as a testament to what it was they were capable of. The willpower and determination they had shown was enough to fire up the crowd, and even supporters of one Astrid or another had been won over by the performance of their would-be champion's opponent. More than anything else, the two Astrids themselves had caught a glimpse of the commitment they'd seen on display from one another, and what they were willing to do in the ring. But, in the end, Astrid Arvidsson had come out on top, and emerged from her first defense still the champion.

Now, all that was left to do was to prepare for the next big show - the show where Arvidsson would surely see her next defense, with the spotlight on her and the crowds at their biggest and most hyped. The Golden Dragon had said as much just last week. But since then, everyone's thoughts were on how the other Astrid - Astrid Ostberg, the first-ever contender for the Openweight Championship and the former LAW Heavyweight Champion - would respond. Would she take her loss gracefully? Would she resent Arvidsson from taking it away from her? Ostberg had always been a firm believer in fair victories won by virtue of the winner's strength, endurance, and determination - yet, more than a few analysts had noted how hard her recent losses seemed to be weighing on her, and how much it seemed to push her to desperation in the name of reclaiming her time in the spotlight, causing her to resort to tactics that no one would have ever expected from her. Only time would tell what Astrid would say next - but tonight, it seemed, she was going to make her thoughts known.

Spoiler

Whether she was a champion or not, Astrid was undoubtedly an icon in LAW and in the greater wrestling world, and that showed when she made her way down to the ring. An outpouring of cheers followed her. But this time, something was different about the Norsewoman. Rather than standing tall and proud, puffing her chest out to bask in the admiration of all her loyal followers and carrying her hard-fought fame with pride, she was far more sedate in her approach. She strolled down to the ring without much in the way of theatrics, and the look on her face was a flat, neutral one, no matter how much she heard the cheers of the fans. As Astrid stepped up onto the ring apron, she took a moment to look back and forth, seeing all the fans cheering on her every move and holding up signs celebrating her accomplishments. For a second, she smiled just a little. It was a welcome reminder of all she had, and how her fans would stand by her no matter what. But just a second later, she let out a sigh and glanced down. There was, all the same, something bittersweet about it - that all these fans were celebrating her heyday, even when that was an era that was since behind her. And she couldn't help but worry that the next words out of her mouth could only disappoint everyone who had come out to see her. Certainly, they would disappoint herself.

At last, after sucking in a long, deep breath, Astrid spoke. "Well," she told everyone, "it happened. Back at We Are LAW, you saw the dawning of a new era for this promotion, with Astrid Arvidsson, my countrywoman and my fellow wrestler, becoming World Openweight Champion. You also saw the end of an era. As her first contender for the title, I fought with all my might - all my heart and soul and spirit, and everything I believed in - to claim that title, just as I had done for the Heavyweight Championship before then. As you might have seen...it wasn't enough."

Astrid let out a long sigh just from having to admit it, and her gaze turned down to stare at her feet. She didn't want the cameras to pick up on it, but there was a scowl on her face. When she admitted her failures, it always left a sour taste in her mouth. But she had to confront it, one way or another.

"I fought hard," she continued, "for the privilege of being able to call myself a champion again, and representing that honor to you all. But I...I couldn't do it." She took a pause, biting her lip. Why did it hurt so much to say? She had so much to be proud about with her career, she thought. Alaina had claimed her title fair and square. It wasn't like her to be a sore loser; she should've been better than that. She was supposed to be an exemplar of all that was good and respectable in wrestling. She wasn't supposed to have these feelings. And the fact that she did...it disgusted her. All she knew was that no one could know the truth.

"In light of this...I have no choice to concede that, as regrettable as it is...my time has passed. It was a good last few years. It was a title run that, if I'm being honest, surpassed all my expectations. But...as they say, all good things must come to an end. Rest assured, I hold nothing against Alaina. If there's any other woman here in LAW who has more of a right to that title than she does, I want to see them myself, because I can't think of anyone I'd rather lose it to than her. She's an inspiration to me - she has been ever since I was young - and that makes it that much more impressive to see she's still going strong to this day. In the end, she was well in her right to win it, and I can't be mad at her..."

That was a lie, of course. As she said it, Astrid could feel her teeth clench and her muscles grow tense, and a shudder ran through her body. She couldn't let anyone see that, of course. That wasn't her. It wasn't like her to even hold any resentment toward Alaina; indeed, she didn't want to. She was hoping that getting these things off her chest might help her, too. But...would it?

After taking a moment to suck in her breath, Astrid continued. "It's been a wild ride. And I'm never going to look back on it. Over the last few years, I saw some of the highest highs of my careers; some of the best matches I've ever been a part of, and I've witnessed moments that will live on in LAW history. I'd like to thank every one of you for coming out in my support, for believing in me the whole way through. I'd like to thank my husband William and my daughter Sarabeth for giving me something to fight for, and all my friends, students, and teachers, all of them too numerous for me to even begin to name. But as much as I'd wish things could continue, I need to remind myself that I lasted two and a half years as a champion. That's no easy feat, and it's something that even some champions out there would be thankful to experience. But a title run can only last so long - and I'm happy to pass it on to someone so deserving."

Once again, a nervous twitch came to Astrid's eye as the words left her mouth. "Rest assured, though...this isn't the end. If you know a thing or two about me, you know that I'm no one to give up so easily. This may be the end of this chapter of my story, but it's the beginning of another. I'm never going to let down what it is I believe in, and what I hold true. I'm still going to compete to the best of my ability, and I still hope to live up to all I've accomplished, and to carry my legacy forward. Perhaps...one day...I'll be a champion again..." She lingered a little longer on that thought. "But for now...that title is safe in Alaina's hands."

As she lowered the microphone, Astrid stopped, taking a few long, deep breaths. Her shoulders rose and fell with each one she took, sending a tremble through her body each time. The fans all around her cheered and chanted "THANK YOU ASTRID!", still as eager to support her as ever. So why...did it hurt so much?

[Pegasus]

The crowd kept up their chants oblivious to the hidden anger and jealously built up inside of Astrid’s soul after suffering the loss of her title and now recently, the loss of trying to win another one. To reclaim the glory that she brought to LAW the last couple years she had been champion. Even when she suffered her first of many heavy losses against Rose Gold, she still rose to the challenge to keep defending her title even if it resulted in her losing against Alania and Kat last year. Now, Astrid tries putting on a prideful smile even when her inner doubts started eating at her and the resentment of her losing streak kept bringing many doubts to her mind shoving her further and further out of the title picture.

First Theme

Suddenly, the graphics of Astrid Arvidsson’s theme started to play and the crowd went into a frenzy of super cheers for LAW’s first Openweight Champion. She must have been watching backstage and wanted to come out to thank Astrid for the match they had, for beating each other senseless to prove their worth to the title, and maybe hint towards a rematch down the road should Ostberg earn herself one properly this time. The crowd waited for the champion to come out, but nothing happened. Astrid didn’t appear and the graphics cut back to the original show logo as everyone was worried. Did she get ambushed? It wouldn’t be uncommon that the top heels saw their chance to strike so soon after the Golden Dragon’s first defense. Maybe it was just an audio glitch?

Second Theme

The second theme came on and the crowd knew instantly it was Cyber Widow’s. Cyber Legacy were making their mark on the wrestling world when they officially returned and it seems the Golden Dragon was the next target. Maybe they also wanted Ostberg out of the picture as well. Were we about to see a Round 2 after a couple years apart from one another?

Third Theme

Wait…it changed to Selket. Of course, the supernaturalist has a known history with Astrid and the priestess hasn’t had the best luck ever since her surprising loss to Astrid so she would want to ramp up the mind games once more to catch her off guard. However, the lights never went out or there wasn’t a slight hint of evil chuckling or there wasn’t even a surprise ambush. Everyone was getting confused as to what was happening.

Fourth Theme

The crowd was getting weirded out even more when The Ace of LAW’s music hit and most fans just went into their usual shtick of booing the Lightweight Champion straight out of the building. It wasn’t anything past Rose to come out here and start taunting Astrid especially if she stayed a good distance away from the ring like the coward she was. Not to mention, Astrid suffered her second straight loss at LAW’s biggest event so Rose would totally jump at this opportunity to rub it in and remind her of last year to add salt into the wound. But still, no Ace made it out onto the stage.

Fifth Theme

Dana Ashford? Perhaps wanting a rematch to see if she could beat Astrid this time since she is in a weak spot?

Sixth Theme

Nashi? What the hell was going on? It wouldn’t be like the idol to just come out and try to challenge Astrid at her weakest. She at least respected if Astrid needed time to recover before they faced off for a third time.

Seventh Theme

Kathleen Hendricks? Okay, this has to be a cruel practical joke to just try and taunt Astrid as the crowd booed at the heel wrestler pulling this shtick. All these themes were from opponents Astrid faced in the past whether she won or loss against them and it was just a cowardly way to play mind games.

The Selection’s Theme Song

Oh no….

Lyra Heartfield would come out as the audience went silent and the lights would start to dim in and out as she wore a midnight blue cloak around her body with the hood to conceal her face. She carried a scythe over her left shoulder as she kept her head bowed. What was she doing out here?

[CaptainL]

It was with a sigh that Astrid lowered her microphone, officially closing out the promo. She let her gaze linger just a little while longer at the ground. The fact that she was here at all, that she was acknowledging her defeat and admitting that she hadn't been able to hold onto her title - or even to reclaim it a second time - all weighed on her shoulders with the burden of guilt and shame. And that guilt and that shame was even stronger when she thought about how, for as much as she wanted to be happy for Alaina's hard-earned victory and as much as she wanted to move forward into the future graciously, she couldn't help but feel that sting of jealousy deep inside of her; that bitterness she couldn't keep down no matter how much she knew she had to. It made her teeth clench and her muscles firm up as a shiver ran down her spine, but nevertheless, Astrid sucked in a breath and held herself straighter. She couldn't hold onto the hatred in her heart. She had to move forward and be the bigger person. And at least, with that last word, she could put this issue to rest.

...Or so she thought.

Not a moment had passed since Astrid finished her thoughts that the theme music of her last opponent began to play over the speakers. She raised an eyebrow in confusion as she looked up toward the ramp. She hadn't expected anyone else to share this segment with her. And what reason would Arvidsson have to make her appearance now, anyway? Her next match had already been planned, hadn't it? What more could she want from her?

The Norsewoman opened her mouth to speak, but then Thereisa's theme began to play instead. Then Selket's. Then Rose Gold's, which made Astrid's eye twitch as the urge to protect herself against a sneak attack kicked in out of instinct. But no matter how many such songs played, or how many times one of Astrid's rivals threatened to make an appearance, no one showed up. It was soon dawning on everyone that this was no mere auditory glitch. This could only be a calculated effort to taunt and threaten Astrid. The only question was...who was behind it?

Her eyebrows narrowed in a glare, and her teeth clenched. It soon grew apparent that this was far more than an announcement and a few parting words for Astrid. There was clearly a threat she needed to address. Her story wasn't over. And when the Selection theme began playing - a theme that Astrid knew all too well from the stable's inexplicable attacks on more wrestlers than she cared to count - Astrid was convinced that this sort of psychological warfare had to be their doing. Sure enough, she was right. A cloaked figure emerged from the curtains, and Astrid stood a little straighter. But her gaze remained locked on the mysterious figure, and she stormed toward them, grabbing at the ropes and leaning over them to fix her gaze straight at the newcomer. She had to show she wouldn't be afraid. After all, she needed answers!

"Who are you!?" Astrid shouted back. "What's your goal, here? Why are you doing this? Tell me-!"

[Pegasus]

Lyra stood still as the theme music ceased and she then would lift her scythe before twirling it. She would then point it up towards the titantron as if motioning for Astrid to look towards the big screen once more. Static splattered on the screen as it seems a video montage was about to play and it would show various points of Astrid’s LAW career starting with her sit down press conference against Cyber Widow back in 2021.

Footage

”FINE, then! If you want to break my neck so badly, I'd like to see you try! You want to challenge me for the title? Why don't you stop beating around the bush and schedule a match? If you're that set on beating me, prove you're not spewing empty threats!"

It switched over to Astrid showing off the newly designed LAW Heavyweight Championship belt during an unveiling ceremony where she first met Selket.

Footage

”Of course, I'm well aware that there's more to being a champion than simply being the best. Not only am I recognized for my status as a world-class athlete, I'm also at the position of being a representative of LAW, and of the heavyweight division. I know that I stand as the face of the division to the world, and that's both an honor and a responsibility I'm proud to bear on my shoulders. Up until someone surpasses me, the championship lives and dies with me. When it comes to representing this title, I wouldn't want to be anywhere other than in the ring right now. And it is for that reason that I'm proud to reveal to you all, the new LAW Heavyweight Championship!"

It would then play Astrid and Selket confronting each other before their fated title match at Fight The LAW.

Footage

”I know that my opponent wants to catch me off-guard, and take me by surprise. Her mistake, when it comes to that, is thinking that I'm going to let her get away with it. The last time we met at the belt unveiling told me that I can't risk taking my eyes off of Selket for long - but now, I know even more to never let her out of my sights. If the best weapon in her arsenal is the element of surprise, I question how she'll fare without it! As provocative a statement as this may seem, I'm confident that she can't back herself up - if Selket thought she could beat me head-to-head in a fair fight, she wouldn't stoop to the trouble of all these theatrics. When she meets me in the ring, and faces my strength head-on, then we'll see what she's really made of!"

It would then transition to Astrid confronting Rose Gold after Rose made a mockery of Meiyun Lai after their humiliating match.

Footage

”I'm not normally one to speak up on matters outside the Heavyweight Division, but knowing you're the Lightweight Champion makes me sick. How many women have you faced that actually stood a chance of taking that title from you? How many times have you picked on those smaller and weaker than you and called it a title defense? How many times have you shown them mercy, even when they begged you for it? I don't know the answer to those things...but what I do know is that tonight, you've crossed a line I can't forgive.”

It would then switch to We Are LAW 2022 after Astrid was declared unconscious and Rose Gold was decided as the winner. The footage was what Astrid couldn’t remember and didn’t see beforehand.

Footage

”So... JUST GET IT OVER WITH!" Her internal monologue broke through and erupted from her throat as she could no longer stand the stay of execution!

*Ding Ding Ding!* The ringing bell jarred the Lightweight's eyes open! And she let out a gasp as if she'd just surfaced from the bottom of the ocean!

She was dangling above the canvas. Her short hair nearly brushed the canvas... She was less than inches from its surface. Less than inches from the destruction she'd been so sure of.

Her legs unfurled and she hit the canvas in an almost mocking approximation of what had been in store for her! And from upon her back, she looked up at the face of her opponent. And flinched!

Her boots kicked and sent her scurrying out from under her, to press her back against the ropes. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she was sweating. Astrid's face was slack and her body was unmoving... She'd succumbed to the Lightweight's panicked squeeze. The blood supply to her brain had been stifled and she'd been shut off... Choked out.

But it was Astrid who was still standing. Looming large over the Lightweight like the Colossus of Rhodes. The pressure of her fighting spirit compelled the winner of the bout to flee the ring. To roll sloppily under the bottom rope and land upon the outside with a heavy thud and a whimper.

And only once she was outside of the confines of the ropes did Rose Gold allow herself to stand. Her eyes searched for Lexy. And when she found her she snarled. The first words out of her mouth were telling.

"Get my belt!" She demanded.

"We're leaving!"

There was no fanfare. No bragging. No shark's smile.

She needed to get away from this place.

The next bit of footage was shown at the declaration of Astrid’s challenge to Alania and Kat for her title.

Footage

"There's plenty of other women out there who could take a shot at me. Drasna Selinofoto, Kanata Yamamoto, Aculina Aslanov...we're truly proud to have one of the deepest and most diverse rosters in wrestling today. But whoever wants to take a shot at me...I'm standing by to hear the challenge now. Make no mistake, the final decision still lies with Dan, Celeste, and everyone else backstage - but it takes more than being a name out of a hat to be truly worthy of the title of number-one contender. It takes guts, it takes bravery, and it takes confidence! And what I'm looking for tonight is someone who can embody those things! To all of you out there waiting for your chance...your chance is now!"

The last bit of footage was shown from just a few seconds ago. Astrid’s last words in her promo she just gave.

Footage

"In light of this...I have no choice to concede that, as regrettable as it is...my time has passed. It was a good last few years. It was a title run that, if I'm being honest, surpassed all my expectations. But...as they say, all good things must come to an end. Rest assured, I hold nothing against Alaina. If there's any other woman here in LAW who has more of a right to that title than she does, I want to see them myself, because I can't think of anyone I'd rather lose it to than her. She's an inspiration to me - she has been ever since I was young - and that makes it that much more impressive to see she's still going strong to this day. In the end, she was well in her right to win it, and I can't be mad at her...”

The footage was unedited graphically and everything looked to be the same going forward, but everything Astrid said had a dark, edited, demonic tone to it. It was her voice, but it felt so malicious….so hateful….so evil.

The titantron cut to black, but static flew on the screen every few seconds. However, bold white words would flood the screen and create a sentence. Then two. Then three.

Are you really satisfied with that line?

You aren’t mad?

Stop lying.

[CaptainL]

Astrid had called out to the hooded figure, demanding an explanation. Her fingers wrapped tighter around the ropes, and her teeth clenched in a grimace as her whole body went tense. She wouldn't stand for these interruptions; this interference. She had something to say, and this intruder was poisoning that moment. Even after she'd lost her title, Astrid was still a staunch believer in holding herself to the utmost standards of professionalism and decorum, and she considered this speech - this sendoff to her title run - to be just as important as anything she had ever said while that belt was around her waist. To intrude on that, to Astrid, was a declaration of war.

But the hooded figure said nothing. And the silence they answered Astrid with would only leave the Norsewoman with more questions. When she heard the crackle of static from the screen above her, she looked up at first with confusion. She could only raise her eyebrow further when she recognized the clip from her interview with Cyber Widow. She saw how she had responded, and how perhaps even then she had given into her aggression - and with every passing second, her jaw began to grow slacker and wider into a brethless gasp. Now, she felt, she had the answers. But they were the ones she had never wanted to hear. At the time, Astrid thought she was only answering to the tensions that Thereisa was escalating, and making a stand that she wouldn't let herself be intimidated. She thought she was doing what anyone in her place would do. Yet now, in light of all the moments she had lapsed too far into rage and violence and the sheer desperation to hold onto her glory, and forgotten who she was in the process, she had to ask. Was that anger always there? Was it always a part of her? Was this...inevitable?

When the video cut to a few other clips from her championship reign, she was reminded all the more of what she'd been, and what she'd lost - and now, that sense of professionalism and dedication to the honor of wrestling she had strived so hard to uphold felt like it was being brought starkly into contrast with what she'd become, or perhaps what she always had been. Already, Astrid had been shaken. But now, every moment in sequence felt like a knife was being driven into her back and twisted harder. Her eyes went wide, and the color drained away from her face as she stared up at each memory that passed by. Every memory that reminded her of how much she'd lost - how much she had been honored to carry the title, and how that had all been taken away from her.

Just when Astrid felt like she was growing numb from the shock, something happened that stirred her, and she jumped up straighter with a gasp. Whoever was doing this, they had footage from mere minutes ago. How long were they following Astrid? And how quickly had they been able to edit the clip - did their reach go all the way backstage? Was Astrid just imagining things? She could definitely hear that malice in her voice as she spoke; that bubbling resentment just beneath her words. But had that always been there?

At last, the text flashed across the screen.Astrid could feel her heartbeat ramp up into a frantic pounding that shook her with every thump, and she could feel the frantic rise and fall of her chest and shoulders as her breaths quickened. Her gaze flitted between the screen and the robed figure beneath it. She couldn't leave it at this. She had to say something.

"No-! I'm not mad - I'm n-not lying-!" Astrid blurted out. But she stammered; there was uncertainty in her voice. For all she wanted to stand in defiance, the damage had already been done. As she grit her teeth, all she could hope to do was to salvage her dignity. "I'm not playing games-! Show yourself!"

[Pegasus]

Lyra remained still as Astrid’s request to know her identity would fall on deaf ears. The titantron returned to normal before the words would start up again as the crowd was growing nervous and more tense on their heels. The Selection loved taking their mind games to the next level. To make a person question their inner strength and make them come face-to-face with the inner darkness they try to subside. Lyra didn’t even need to say anything to invoke fear throughout the arena.

You keep her hidden.

She is angered and frustrated with you.

LET. HER. OUT!

[CaptainL]

Despite Astrid's protests, she was no closer to learning what machinations were behind this than she was when she started. No matter how desperately she cried out to the hooded figure, they said nothing; their silent presence only seemed to taunt her. And it only wore Astrid's patience thinner and thinner. She'd come here to get something off her chest, and now whoever it was who was behind this not only refused to let her have the last word on her terms, but they wouldn't even give her any answers either? No. Astrid couldn't stand by this!

As another cryptic message flashed up on screen, Astrid grasped the ropes tighter, shaking them in place. "Nngh...I'm warning you-! I'm not here to mess around! This is serious-!" The longer her gaze fixed on the hooded intruder, the more she trembled with pent-up aggression, and a gout of hot air was blown from her nostrils. She couldn't even be bothered to feel scared any more, even if she was still baffled by what had happened. No, that emotion had been replaced by a steadily-brewing rage. And as her fists balled at her sides and her knuckles blanched under the pressure, Astrid could think of nothing more than how she could just get out there right now and wring this stranger's neck if they wouldn't give up the answers...

...but then, she stopped. Let her out. Her aggression. Her anger. Wasn't that what Astrid was doing just now? She had taken a step forward, but then she froze in place - one foot forward and one hand held out in front of her; her mouth agape, but too shaken to say a word or to move so much as an inch. Was it worth it? Did she want to take things further? Or...would doing so be giving the intruder just what they wanted?

If she went forward, she'd only fall into the stranger's trap. But if she went back, she was proving her cowardice - her unworthiness. Astrid had come to save face, yet now, it looked like there was nothing she could do to salvage her dignity. All she could do was stay right where she was, trapped between two equally painful extremes.

[Pegasus]

Lyra had to be enjoying the sight she was seeing. Astrid was at her weakest when her morals and values were questioned. The Selection knew challenging those would be the first nail in her coffin and they would already have the high ground against Astrid. Make her climb their cliff in order to get to them. Put obstacles in her way to make her want her revenge against them. When they have poured her anger out, they will milk it all dry and make her a former shell of herself.

Astrid was getting angrier and angrier, but she also didn’t want to give in to it. Maybe it was time to twist the knife a little bit deeper. Lyra twirled her scythe one more time pointing to the titantron as video static came back and it showed CCTV footage of a gym where Alania met William and Kennedy for the first time. Alania was boasting about her prowess and the volume was quite high.

Footage

"I get that you want to support your fiance. Astrid is an amazing wrestler just like her old man. She has a hell of a track record and title reign. However, if you think someone working hard is this new thing I don't know about, then you may be crazy. I am sorry dear, but I am gonna come out on top. Nothing personal, but I can't pass up the chance to beat two generations of Ostberg in the ring. She has no hope of matching me in the ring. I am too much woman for a blonde bimbo like Astrid to handle."

Granted, a few words had to change in editing this footage, but Astrid wasn’t around so what she doesn’t know is sure to send her off the edge. Seeing her own idol, someone she looked up to, someone her father respected gratefully, seeing Alania talk trash about her would hopefully trigger her deep jealously and hatred for the Amazon. The woman who finally ended her glorious reign and right before the big match, she was boasting about beating her right to her fiancé and her greatest rival. The crowd were stunned hearing the Heavyweight Champion’s words and they had to sit with this for a moment. Was Alania really just all about gaining the glory? Was Kennedy right about her? In hindsight and reality, no, but this edited footage was the only truth they had at the moment to dissect.

Lyra turned to the backstage curtain calling out a ring worker to hold a microphone out for her to speak. The worker was trembling with fear as Lyra spoke finally.

“Your precious idol thinks little of you, Ostberg. She doesn’t care about you in the slightest or your father. We know the hate you harbor against her. How she took your place. This can’t stand. We are not the problem, but the solution to this entire lunacy. Join us to make LAW see the sins that are buried under it’s surface and we can finally put these demons in their caskets and bury them in the darkness forever,” Lyra explained.

[CaptainL]

Astrid was a physical powerhouse, and a force to be reckoned with in the ring. No one could deny that. In the Heavyweight Division and in LAW as a whole, she had earned a well-deserved reputation as one of the strongest competitors around, and only a few could boast of beating her. One who wanted to get the upper hand on Astrid, then, would have to go beyond a contest of strength. They would have to target her on the psychological plane; to get the better of her in a battle of wills. But right now, when she was still grappling with the loss of her title and the dark places she'd fallen into as a result, Astrid was more vulnerable than ever. Whoever was out for her, they had realized that - and now they were ready to move in for the kill.

This time, the video that appeared on the screen wasn't one that Astrid recognized. But she recognized everyone there - William, her now-husband; Kennedy, her age-old rival; and Alaina - the woman who had cost her her championship. It didn't take long for her to realize this had to have been recorded prior to her title match. But if that was so...Alaina was doubting her, and casting scorn on her, before the match had even begun! Behind her back, and to some of her closest companions! As the last few words fell from Alaina's mouth, Astrid's whole body stiffened as she let out a gasp. All this time, she'd seen Alaina as an inspiration and as a friend. But had she really known Alaina at all? Could she trust her? Or...had the Amazon always thought so little of her?

Astrid didn't know what to believe. The things she'd been shown had shaken her belief in Alaina, and her belief of what she even knew and could believe in. Her face had gone pale, and her stance unsteady. Nothing was comfortable, understandable, explicable - anything could happen next. And it was only then that the figure spoke. They were...offering to to help her? To set things right?

For a moment, the hooded woman's offer seemed...all too appealing. She'd been trying to recapture glory by her own merits. But maybe that just wasn't working. Maybe she needed someone to fall back on. Maybe this was what she'd always needed...

She took a few steps closer, moving toward this woman with her hand outstretched. But then, she froze. No - she realized what this was. The offers to join them. The tricks with the lights and sounds and cameras. The Selection. She'd heard of a group using fear and intimidation to try and establish a hold on LAW - and now, it seemed, she was in their sights. Not even to beat her, but to use her. She couldn't give in to the temptations, she told herself. She still believed in what was right! She had to be stronger - she had to prove she was better than this!

At once, Astrid stopped, shaking herself back to her senses. Snorting a gout of air from her nose, she stiffened herself and balled a fist at her side. "No-!" she barked. "I can't! I know what this is - you're one of them!"

[Pegasus]

Lyra crossed her arms which placed the scythe handle overlapping with the middle of her body. She shook her head when Astrid declined the offer even though she was clearly tempted. Her own desperation battled her morals in this fight for control so she was at best on the fence about her next steps. Lyra had the microphone held up to her mouth before speaking her next words.

“You’re choosing to suffer more than you can afford, Ostberg. If you truly seek a new beginning, he can give it to you. Milord. He has granted me and the others passage to salvation and paradise. A healing state that cleansed our worries and doubts. To defy him is suicide. You have one last chance to accept otherwise….you’ll be dealt with swiftly and left to the abyss of obscurity. What’s there left to lose when this whole company is against you?” Lyra asked.