Rules of LAW - The War for the Loser Belt.

[Taskmaster12]

Robin wasn’t usually on the other end of these things. As someone who was in the match being announced she couldn’t really take part in the conference and could tell that it was going to be rough. They were outside the arena one week ahead of We Are LAW 6 with a few fans and wrestlers to discuss certain matches that had been recently announced and in this match had a lot going for it. This match held the entire fate of the Loser belt on an elimination tag match. It would be Robin’s PPV debut and the first match since she and Angie agreed to work together to save her project from Kat Hart who wanted it gone. Sitting with Piper and Angie while she was opposite Newbie Nuo and Grace Moore and presumably Katherine Hart they could see the tension between the usual commentators brewing. Tammy and Jenna were starting to argue about something that she couldn’t see and the show was about to start. They were subdued about it in the presence of Angie, yet even her presence wasn’t enough to keep the two from being open about whatever issue it was. Eventually it ended when Tammy walked off and grabbed a mic, shoving it in Jenna’s hands before grabbing another. She heard Jenna mutter something in response while Tammy started to count down to give the two time to put their game faces on.

“Welcome everybody to the opening conference for We Are LAW 6!” “I’m Jenna and this is Tammy and we’re your commentary hosts for Rules of LAW! Normally we would handle these matters ourselves since the wrestlers are usually very busy and we can only get a few to show up for these.” “However given the high stakes of this incredible match up, we were able to get everyone to agree to show up to help explain how important this match is to them.” “Almost all of them are Tammy. The self proclaimed hero of the losers has decided she’s too busy to make such an appearance. Leaving her loser friends to fend for themselves. For their sake I hope she’ll show up when they need her in the match.” “What Jenna means is Kat Hart is very busy after going through every task Angie Defoe made her endure to have this match.” “What Tammy is doing is called making excuses for superstars, we expected her to be here and she’s not. What a shame.” “Jenna wouldn’t know what superstars go through being too busy criticizing them from a desk.” “Least my head’s up and not shoved deep-” “Girls?” Robin finally spoke up and gestured to the crowd and them. “Do you want to get back to doing your job?” Tammy recovered first after realizing how they did all that in front of one of their bosses and was back on the camera with a smile. “Either way we have many well known favorites and stars to talk too. The battle for the Loser belt has divided many in LAW.” “Articles posted by our usual co-host Robin in defense of it and many hashtags against it coming from girls like Madeline and our absent Kat speaking against it.” “We could explain why each of them fight for this championship's future and go over that themselves, if they weren’t standing here ready to explain that themselves. We’re happy to let the wrestlers who put their bodies on the line for this amazing opportunity do the talking for us.” “So let's hear from them! When you want to speak, don't be afraid to step up because we have a few questions and the LAW fans want to know the answers.” “Question 1: Why did you agree to this match? Why is the Loser belt this important to you?” “Question 2: How much do you trust your teammates?” “Question 3: Whichever side you're on, do you think this discourse is warranted and some changes should be made even if the belt stays or is there a fundamental misunderstanding of the belt's purpose?” “Question 4: Should you win the match, how do you see the future for LAW after you’ve either retired this belt or saved it?”

Robin understood how to handle these Rules of LAW conferences and was ready to stand up the moment all the questions had been asked. Calmly stepping up to the podium so she could be heard by everyone. “As you may know I spend more days talking about matches than I do wrestling in them, I intend to fix that in the future after I’ve saved something important for the present. I would like to thank Angie Defoe for seeing my value as a wrestler and allowing me to participate with her even though I know she had more active wrestlers willing to do this job for her. Furthermore I commend her for her willingness to put herself on the line in the match to defend a staple of LAW that many ingrates seek to destroy and promise to do my best to protect it right alongside her and Ms. Sherwood.” Robin took a second and heard Jenna mutter something about brown-nosing to Tammy, then saw Tammy cover her mouth to hide a laugh. The two could get along if she was the target of their ire. “On to your questions I agreed to this match for the same reason I wrote the article against retiring the loser belt. I think the consequences of denying jobbers the limelight this title brings would decrease any interest in seeing them and lead to more of them getting fired. The loser belt is the first company-wide measure I’ve seen anyone take to help motivate weaker wrestlers, and I refuse to let it be mocked and tossed aside. I of course trust my teammates. I have nothing to fear about Angie who I know only brought herself here because she plans to bring her best to save the Loser belt from destruction. As for Piper, I watched this fine combatant dismantle the once undefeated Aurora at Apex and take out a champion after once being so close to wearing the Loser belt Aurora’s comrade Kat is trying to remove. She more than anyone knows how valuable this title is and I trust she’ll bring that same energy into protecting it.” “I’d like to remind people that Piper jumped Aurora to d-” “The Swat Cats come back from so many jumpings you’ve seen it, Kat boasts of it. I won’t see Piper’s victory be tainted because she was smarter than all of them. To your third question I think my article speaks for itself, I find the belt the most helpful yet misunderstood championship in all of LAW and I hope that it did clear things up for those who were misled. If not I’d be happy to explain it further in another article or some blog that the LAW fans and wrestlers could access. Finally I’d like to say this, I think once this belt is saved and we remind people that it’s important I see a healthier LAW. Grace and Newbie would make fine future Loser champions and the experience would do good for them to eventually move on to future belts. After this I think they would even look upon becoming champion with a source of pride.” After bullshitting her way through her reasoning Robin stepped away and took her seat.

[Bare]

Piper smirked casually as she sat back in the seat provided, sandwiched between Robin and Angie respectively, and sticking out like a sore thumb as a result. After all she was much smaller and lithe in comparison to the two women beside her. Yet despite that the look of barely masked malicious glee on her face matched that of both Robin and Ange perfectly, perhaps even surpassing her compatriots. Wearing black leather pants and and black heels, with a white blouse and black blazer on top she was the definition of 'bad bitch energy' at the moment, and it showed all throughout the rather... rough introduction to this event by Tammy and Jenna.

'Don't wanna be them when Robin gets them in a corner.' Piper thought to herself, knowing that the woman was their boss and in their brief time of acquaintanceship she could tell the woman was a hard ass about this sorta thing. Regardless Piper would watch and listen as the girls asked some general questions nodding at each with a nod before turning slightly as Robin made the move to respond first. Nodding along she would smirk proudly as Robin specifically named and praised her... Only to then shoot a death glare at Tammy when she tried to besmirch her victory over Aurora and was about to snap a nasty clap back at her, only for Robin to beat her to the punch.

Blinking at this she would smirk, Robin just climbing up a few steps on Piper's good list and waited patiently until she finished before deciding to speak up herself. "First of all... thank you Robin for speaking the facts and setting Pammy in her place." Piper said with a nod to the woman, deliberately misnaming Tammy as a sign of disrespect before continuing on. "Anyways, I'll go in order, so try and keep up." Once again the statement was punctuated with a particularly demeaning tone and was directed almost entirely to Tammy along with a glare before she dropped it and continued on. "Anyways, as for why I agreed, its a spot on a ppv, beating a bunch of jobbers and Kat Hart, that comes with a huge pay day I'd be stupid not too." Piper said letting the shallow answer hang in the air for a moment before.. "Which is why this belt deserves its spot in LAW, I wouldn't have this change if nearly getting that thing stuck on me didn't motivate me to get my ass in gear." Piper said, using her own experience in her own words to make the point which was only aided by the 'before and after' example she gave.

"Very much. No reason not to. Hell Robin just now defended me and my amazing victory over Aurora, and clearly we all can agree on one thing, that the Loser belt needs to stay in effect." Piper said before thinking for a moment and deciding to add on. "Well two things if we add in some... unsavory comments towards a certain cat themed wanna be hero dork who couldn't be bothered to show up." Piper said mockingly before continuing. "Hell no. The belt was put in place for a reason, and clearly it does its job. People are just trying to white knight the situation and stick their nose where it don't belong. Honestly it just feels like losers jumping on a hot topic to stay relevant cause they can't do it on their own to me." Piper said with a roll of her eyes before moving on to the last question.


"When we win this match, the lawless belt will stick around and do its job, and LAW will keep selling out stadiums, selling crazy numbers for shows, and paying the people that deserve it what they are owed. If anything just cause of all this bullshit, I think we should add some more punishments on for the loser champ. Like sayyy I dunno, having to join Jenna and Lamey for these conferences? Free up Robin for bigger and better things and all that." Piper said with a shrug, finishing off with one more dig at Jenna and Tammy, more so Tammy before ending and sitting back to see who would go next.

[Misfit_Alien]

Masked up and with a bright smile on her face, Grace eagerly awaited her turn to answer the questions. When everything was said and done between Piper and Robin, the Shooting Star spoke up...

"Well, firstly-...Tammy and Jenna, was it-? I wanted to thank you for hosting us~!!! Two lovely show hosts for the price of one insufferable conference? A worthwhile exchange! Second, though Kat can't be here right now, Nuo and I feel her energy and spirit all the same! We all believe the Loser's Title needs to be dismantled and tossed in the garbage. Lemme tell you why-...I accepted this match because I feel-...No-...I KNOW it's my one and ONLY chance to do something right...To take a stand against someone so abhorrently designed. Piper and Robin make good arguments, yes-...But that's only a fraction of the story. They're not telling you the complete picture." Grace said in a matter-of-factly manner. "SOME people may see this belt as a means of motivation or self-reflection, a way to get so-called jobbers in shape while giving them 'opportunities'...but that's a half-truth, nay-...a QUARTER-TRUTH, at best. This sink-or-swim mentality...those 'opportunities'...they're all exaggerations of the reality in front of us. The Loser's Belt takes someone and turns them into the company's laughing stock. It turns them into a pariah within the hallways. How is something like THAT good for anyone's morale? What these people need isn't a looming threat above their heads or a metallic 'kick me' sign strapped across their waist...what they need is help. Coaching and training. Morale boosts. The whole nine yards!!! Do you know where you can find that kind of help? The Young Lioness division? Some may call it a demotion, but I see it as the healthier alternative. It's a boot camp combined with an indie league all rolled up into one for anyone who needs to get their act together. Instead of punishing people for mistakes, why not help them grow and reach beyond their shortcomings instead of magnifying their failures?" She said, allowing her words to sink in for a moment.

"Phew-...I think that answers questions one and three...as for the other two. Of course I trust my teammates. Kat Hart has formed one of the greatest trios in LAW's history. You could easily cement her in a hall of fame here and now. And Nuo-...don't even get me started!!! We've tangled in the ring before and had AMAZING chemistry. That's when we were fighting AGAINST each other. Imagine us side-by-side, cheering each other on. It's magic in the making, and our positive mindset and expert teamwork will outshine the vile, dark ambitions of Defoe and her flunkies over there. I don't need to make a wish on a 'shooting star' to make that reality come true. This is a PROMISE to every struggling talent out there. We WILL win...and we'll reinvent the way forward for anyone labeled a jobber with a method that actually WORKS, instead of employing the use of some boring scare tactic." She said, crossing her arms and shining another bright smile, completely unswayed by the opposition's comments and opinions. The Shooting Star was confident and assured, having nothing but faith in her valiant teammates.

[winner3]

"*Clap*.....*Clap*....*Clap*..." The sound of slow, low-energy clapping followed the tail end of The Shooting Star's moving speech. As Grace crossed her arms and stood confidently, The Assistant General Manager rose up out of her seat and clapped to commend the bluenette's noble and eloquently expressed stance!

"A fine speech, Grace! Kudos to you! I could feel the room filling with your passion, your energy, and your charisma as you spoke. I'm sure the many fans following this broadcast feel it, too!" Angie would gesture broadly to the small crowd of journalists and reporters in attendance, and to the cameras following the action as well.

"Isn't it just a tad ironic that the item and the legacy at the heart of the matter, speaking of which I do hope Hart is well and healthy enough to join you two and to see this big match through -" Defoe grit her teeth titled her head with her best attempt at a concerned expression. She quickly caught herself.

"But isn't ironic that the very same championship at the center of all this conflict is providing a platform and a spotlight for the very same talent that the "retire the loser belt" crowd seems so bent on standing up for?" Angie would lean forward and press her palms against the table alongside her allies, Piper and Robin. Her tone grew more serious.

"Grace Moore....Newbie Nuo....imagine just a year ago, trying to wrap your head around the idea of these names headlining a LAW pay-per-view. We Are LAW, no less! I certainly couldn't have envisioned it. But when you throw the fate of the Loser Championship into the mix and add stakes to the match, suddenly DeFranco is happy to greenlight it."

"It's funny in a cosmic sort of way that even with the threat of the belt being retired, the loser championship is STILL helping to light a fire under talents like Grace and Nuo, here. It's putting a spotlight on them! The whole world gets to watch these ladies tag together with the legendary Kat Hart in an effort to "save" the jobbers and the poor unfortunate souls that may find themselves down on their luck, hehe~" Defoe gestured with heavy air quotes. Her eyes drifted towards their hosts, Jenna and Tammy who were at Robin's beck and call. She soon returned her attention to the crowd and to her PPV opponents.

"Now, I like to do things by the book. And I like to be efficient. I can sum up my thoughts on Grace's words and on all of these matters by succinctly answering Jenna's and Tammy's questions." The Assistant GM spoke in her own matter-of-fact tone. She stood up straight and adjusted her glasses.

"More than simply agreeing to it, I personally advocated for the booking of this match, myself. I proposed it and got it approved by General Manager DeFranco, himself. He and I butt heads often, but we were able to see eye to eye LAW's resident "superhero" Kat Hart advocated for it, but I pitched this match and the stipulations for it, myself. I've put Hart through many trials to earn it. And she did. So of course, I'm all for it. Additionally..."

"Somehow, despite Robin's bold, comprehensive, gracious, and unbiased journalism, somehow it is a little-known fact that one of my greatest contributions to this company's Assistant General Manager was the introduction of The Loser Championship, itself! I created that belt! Both in concept and execution! Love it or hate it, the matches and the wrestlers that Title has been involved in have generated buzz and revenue aplenty for this company. The Loser Title has contributed much to LAW and I'll not see my legacy and my efforts in stationing it here be dashed! And my business partners here, Robin Mendez and Piper Sherwood will help ensure just that!"

"Speaking of which, the next question was "How much do I trust my teammates?", isn't that right Jenna? Make no mistake. It is not hyperbole when I tell you that I view Robin and Piper as the daughters I never had. Our relationship extends beyond just businesses. This match will be my debut as a LAW wrestler. And I can't think of any women on this deep, wide roster that I'd rather have in my corner."

"I'm sure that both teams will give it their all. But should the three of us prevail, I don't think any changes are necessary for the Loser Championship at all. We're doing this company and the world of wrestling a service. I direct you again to the fact that this match is even on the card- the fact that we're all here at this press conference. This is a massive opportunity for Newbie Nuo and Grace Moore that never would have been possible without The LAW Loser Championship. Had it not been for that title, millions of people all over the world wouldn't have had the chance to be charmed by Miss Moore's charisma just moments ago."

"And speaking of Miss Moore and her commanding presence, I'm sure the very inconspicuous Miss Nuo over there has something riveting to add to all this. There's no indication that Miss Hart will join us, so why don't you cap this conference off for us, Nuo?" Angie would gesture toward Nuo, who was looking rather inconspicuous and lax compared to everyone else

[Random_Username]

Nuo wasn't sure about the idea of an conference, especially when sitting in the opposite end of their opponents. It's not like this was her first time being in a conference, however, her first one ended with herself being slammed into a table. Still, Nuo hoped that things could be different since all they are doing is answering the questions and that's it. But her answer had to wait as it was Grace Moore's turn to answer the question. During her turn she mentioned their match where they first met, making her blush beneath her mask.

After her masked partner had her turn, Nuo gave a small pat onto her friend's shoulder. Since it was her turn, she scooted herself closer to the mic with the chair and cleared her throat. Right before she could speak, Angie Defoe stepped in to share her thoughts. While the Assistant General Manager was at it, Nuo leaned forward and placed her arms on the table. She turned her head to Grace and gave her a quick smile before looking back at Defoe. Once the Assistant General Manager was finally done, she turned towards Nuo and let her get a say.

She cleared her throat before leaning closer to the mic for everyone to hear. "W-well, that's nice of you to put the spotlight on us," Nuo said, "however, I'd rather not be seen as a clown on stage if I ever carry a belt like that."

"As for the questions, the first one and maybe three, why did I agree to the match and how is it important? Well, I guess it's either agree to the match or let the loser belt come to me at some point in the future. However, with the opportunity to get rid of it for good, how could I say no to something like that?" Despite Nuo's answer, it should be pretty obvious how nervous she was due to how much movement she put on her arms. While she was talking, she leaned back with her arms stretched out a little to give a hand gesture of something large. "And it's as Grace said, I don't wanna see people walking around with a belt like that. Especially when there are those who'd actually want to make a name for themselves ended up being seen as a literal loser as the belt says."

"Onto the next question, I'm pretty confident that we'll at least put up a good fight to our opponents." As she said it, she looked away from their opponents who were sitting across of them, refusing to look them in the eyes. "L-like Grace pointed, we had a match together to which I-uh... Won. Even though I may had won, that didn't mean it was easy- It took me a lot energy just to get her down. And seeing her being this determine against the belt, I'll say our chances here are pretty good. What else... Oh- For the last question, same as hers, I hope to see future rising stars that get to go on their terms instead of- As Grace said, 'scare tactic.'"

[winner3]

Against all odds, the charged discourse at this press conference somehow didn't break out into fisticuffs. Nuo carried herself well, piggybacking off of Grace's fine speech to round out this little Q&A session. Surely thanks would be given to Jenna and Tammy (more so Jenna and Jess so Tammy) for their input and their driving of the events that played out today in anticipation of the big trios match.

Shortly following Nuo's input, the journalists covering this clamored amongst themselves. Articles were already being posted online. Defoe rose up from her chair and raised her palm slightly to communicate that she wanted silence.

"Thank you very much, Nuo. Thank you very much, everyone. Regardless of how things play out, this match, and really all the matches in the pay-per-view come from a place of passion for this sport and passion for this company." Angie smiled widely. To most, the smile would communicate sincerity. To anyone in the know, however, it would communicate her confidence in the outcome of the match. She put her hands together in preparation to call for the end of this conference.

"And I look forward to seeing Grace and Nuo's passion in full display as they fight valiantly at We Are LAW 6, just as myself and my daughters here plan-"

WHAM!

The sounds of the closing ceremonies here were interrupted by the sounds of the doors to this set for the conference practically flying open!

Super Kitty Kat Hart

There she stood—the fashionably late luchadora. Everyone has assumed that she wouldn't make it, but as she often did and as was a testament to the content of her character, somehow Kat Hart found a way.

All eyes and cameras panned to The Super Kitty. Very few would notice Angie's eye twitch with annoyance in reaction to this turn of events. The Assistant General Manager was the first person Kat smiled and winked to in order to acknowledge this.

The heavyweight luchadora hit a stride as she walked towards the tables all the guests were sitting at. Her heels clicked against the hard floors beneath her as she made her way in. A star of Kat's caliber was used to turning heads. She paid no mind to the rather loud murmurs of the journalists and the camera crew. She didn't look twice when the likes of Angie, Robin, Piper, and even Jenna inevitably made an off-color remark or shot her a glare. No, Kat Hart made a beeline for her fellow luchaodras. She extended a fist to Grace Moore for a fist bump, and then to Newbie Nuo. She smiled at both women. And then, rather unexpectedly, Katherine walked over to Tammy.

"Hey...." The blonde whispered. She slipped a small piece of paper to Tammy. It seemed to be a small orange Post-it note with some handwriting on it.

"If these jokers keep cracking the whip at you, gimme a call. I'll set 'em straight. I plan to right now, anyhow." Kat would wink. Immediately, she'd turn to the opposition. Kat smile at all three women before walking up to her position at the conference table, right up to her chair that had remained empty all this time beside Grace and Nuo.

Not once did she sit down, however. Kat pulled the mic up from its holster. She took one look around before speaking up.

"I hope y'all can forgive me for being fashionably late. The ladies sitting across from us will say it's due to unprofessionalism or stuff of that nature. I'm sure Jenna's already got lines to feed to the reporters and to Robin about how I show up on my time cause of ego or whatever other lies they wanna make up...."

"What they won't tell you and what number 2 over there won't tell you is that the physical therapy sessions are getting intense. I'm sure there's gonna be more coverage on this later but just to earn the opportunity to wrestle this match, just to earn a chance to retire the LAW Loser Title, I had to endure some pretty wicked matches. I'm not coming through to We Are LAW at 100%. And honestly....that's fine." The Super Kitty perked up and smiled.

"I do hope Jenna and Tammy over there can forgive me for not going through the questions one by one. I've been keeping up with the live stream." She held her phone up for a second with her free hand.

"But if I stick to the format, I'll be here all day. You ladies know how I like to talk. So instead, I'm just gonna say my piece and then be in my way that I can prepare for the match alongside my trusty tag partners here." Kat motioned to Grace and Nuo beside her.

"I say that things are fine. And I don't say that because I plan to carry the match and dominate and never let them tag in. No, that's not it at all! A lot of people, the women across from us, our opponents, some of their peers in the locker rooms and in the gyms, they have this weird idea that I'm planning to go into this match carrying Grace Moore, The Shooting Star, carrying Newbie Nuo on my back. Like these two are deadweight meant to hold me back...." Kat's eyes narrowed with skepticism.

"And I get it. People look at this match and at a glance, they see that I have business with all these women."

"By now it's no secret that I have an axe to grind with Miss Angie Defoe, who has the business acumen to be on the board of directors for a large and successful company that operates internationally, but somehow doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to look me in the eye and tell me straight to my face why she doesn't like me." Kat motioned to Defoe.

"It's no secret that I'd love to get my hands on the illustrious and mysterious Robin Mendez, who's probably struck oil by now with how hard she's been shoveling day in and day out to try to bury me in her articles and in press conferences for the past few years." She motions towards Robin.

"And, of course, after what you did to Aurora, I'd love nothing more than to get my hands on you, Piper. The only difference between what you like to do to people and what I'm gonna do to you is that unlike you, I'm gonna handle our business together after the opening bell and not beforehand. Because that's precisely what Aurora would want me to do! Because that is how real professionals conduct themselves, sweetheart!"

Kat paused for a moment after getting hot here. Some light applause stirred from the crowd of journalists and staff. It was no doubt a dirty look from Angie and the gang that got them to stop abruptly.

"You know, I came to LAW and I did everything I could to help put this place on the map. As I got bigger and bigger, the good people that know and love this sport started calling me "hero". They called me an inspiration. The boss over there has called me LAW's superhero. And it's from those ideas that people think I'm trying to win, not with Grace and Nuo, but in spite of being teamed up with them." Hart shook her head lightly to deny such notions.

"Nah... that couldn't be further from the truth."

"Matter of fact, this is the best outcome. And that's because it's poetic how the Loser Championship in this company will be retired by some of the very same girls that you'd want to use this belt to ridicule! That's just karma at work right there."

"You ladies sit there and you spout garbage about the loser belt being some kind of motivator? That it forces people to "elevate" themselves?! That it helped Piper get her butt in gear?"

"Ha! Lemme tell you something, you could count on one hand the number of people that wanna see more tiny, blonde gremlins- more Piper Sherwoods running around LAW!"

"Defoe, Robin, if your legacy in this company means that you can't find a way to elevate wrestlers in this sport - to elevate this sport itself without using and abusing people- if the Loser Championship is your idea of giving struggling wrestlers a kick in the pants rather than actually encouraging them to work their way up honestly....then maybe you three SHOULDN'T HAVE legacies at LAW!"

"I think it's fitting that I get the chance to work with Grace Moore and Newbie Nuo to erase that black mark of a title from pro wrestling! Fitting that alongside the very same girls you want to build your legacy on top of, WE get the make LAW a better place by getting rid of that farce of a title!"

"I trust my tag partners for this match. And I trust that together we have what it takes to change things around here for the better. And that's exactly what we'll do at We Are LAW!" With a balled fist and a firm, reassuring nod to The Shooting Star and Miss Huang, Kat stepped down to approach them and place one hand on each lady's shoulder.

"You girls wanna get outta here? We can work on drills and teamwork? Oh, and let's get food! Promos make me work up an appetite, haha!"

With that, Kat would try to herd her tag partners toward the exit. There was a lot of work to be done if they were going to make history together at We Are LAW 6!