Lyra Heartfield vs Astrid Ostberg - Falls Count Anywhere Match

[Pegasus]

It seemed Astrid was in quite the tight squeeze as she either had the choice of giving in to Lyra's choking and finally admit defeat or risk her daughter suffering more by being inches away from being put in the Mandible Claw. Astrid had made her choice......and decided it was neither. She threw Lyra off her back and the fortune teller went sailing over everyone before landing back first into Cecilia splattering both women onto the floor as Lyra groaned and held a stern glare at Astrid. Astrid had faltered quite a bit during this match so far, but it wasn't without a fight and she had since been the longest that has been able to stand up to The Selection without crumbling under pressure or no confidence. Sure, they brought more anger out of her and that is what they wanted, but Astrid held defiance and rebellion in her boiled blood so it wasn't over for her just yet. Lyra scrambled back to her feet as Sarabeth ran behind her mother just letting Astrid do this for herself and staying out of the way.

"Never mess with my mom. You saw what can happen!" Sarabeth warned Lyra as the fortune teller still had her steel pipe near her and grabbed it for a weapon.

[CaptainL]

The moment Astrid tossed Lyra off of her, she bent over forward with a breath of relief. Both she and Cecilia went down in a heap as they crashed into one another, buying the Norsewoman some much-needed time to recover. But the pressure on her throat had still done a number on her. As her knees buckled and she sagged lower, she coughed and sputtered, hacking a few drops of blood-tinged saliva onto the floor - even she had to wince at the sight of what the Selection was putting her through. Nevertheless, Astrid knew that slowing down now would be a fatal mistake. The Selection was out to dominate her physically, mentally, and emotionally, and she needed to stand firm against it - she had to be stronger than them! As Lyra rose to her feet, Astrid kept her eyes carefully trained on her; her muscles were taut and ready to strike at a moment's notice...

But when her reflexes did kick in, it wasn't because of Lyra. When Astrid saw Sarabeth grab for the steel pipe, it made her jump straight back up to her feet; a cold sensation ran down her spine from head to toe as her body seized into action. Her arm swung out behind her, attempting to hold her stepdaughter back. "Sarabeth, no-! I know you want to stand up for yourself...but it's too dangerous here! You need to get Jessie and Matilda to safety, before you get hurt! I can handle this..!"

No sooner had the words let Astrid's mouth that she could feel her teeth tighten into a grimace, her eyelid twitching nervously. Could she handle this? She wasn't even sure of that herself, particularly as she saw Cecilia begin to rise as well, pushing herself back up onto her hands and knees before hopping back onto her feet with a flip of her hair. Facing down both women at once, Astrid gulped, but she did know one thing - she couldn't leave Sarabeth in the crossfire. They could do whatever they wanted to her, as long as she would be safe.

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth pushed her mother’s arm away defiantly as she wanted to argue, but she couldn’t even begin to fathom what trouble laid upon for her. However, Sarabeth wanted to stand by her mother and she wasn’t going to let her mom falter. Jessie and Matilda had been good enough to help her dispatch Roxanne from the match, but got caught up in this mess and wounded up at the Selection’s mercy. She had to at least fight for their sake and they were surrounded anyway. Sarabeth was willing to correct her mistake if it meant fighting alongside her family.

“No…..I’m not running. Are you going to just shelter me my whole adult life, mom? Yeah, it’s dangerous, but guess what? I’ve been in hardcore matches that have risen to the levels of death matches and that’s only in a rundown bingo hall back in the sticks. If I truly want to be a wrestler like you, I got to take a leap of faith and yeah, we’re probably going to get our asses kicked, but we can still fight back hard and show we aren’t afraid. Now’s not the time for helicopter mom to come out,” Sarabeth explained to her mother and even grabbed Astrid’s shoulder straps to bring their foreheads together to show she was serious.

Lyra had to chuckled darkly at this moment and help Cecilia to her feet as she coughed still hurting a bit.

“How adorable….the little punk thinks she has the moral high ground. I can’t wait to have you at our mercy. Maybe you’ll join along with your mom and then you’ll stay out of our business and worship a true god,” Lyra suggested as she smiled darkly at the mother and daughter.

Suddenly, heavy boots filled the void of the hallways just behind Astrid and Sarabeth. Sarabeth’s ears perked up as she quivered her lip somewhat out of fear. She turned around ready for anyone to try and step out from the corner. However, she only heard frantic pleas of help as a staff member was apparently grabbed.

“Please! Stop! Stop! I have a wife and kids! Don’t hurt me!”

“BREAKER!” Came the booming voice of the Anomaly as the demon appeared around the corner twitching with a production member held by the throat with his back against the wall.

“It’s here! Above me!” The staff member frantically pointed upwards as he closed his eyes trembling.

The Anomaly saw the breaker box to this portion of the hallway in the arena as he reached his free hand up to open the door. He started switching off the switches and finally plunged the hallways into complete darkness. Roxanne could also be heard damaging stuff in the production area as she just awoken and Sarabeth gasped seeing the TVs go to complete static.

The Selection had just cut power and the feed to the show. Now, their game truly began.

[CaptainL]

"SARABETH-!!" When she heard the defiance in her stepdaughter's voice, Astrid could feel a knot tighten deep inside her chest. Her teeth clenched tightly, and she swallowed a gulp. Her first impulse was to strike out - to tell Sarabeth she had no business being here. She was already hurt, and she was baiting the ire of a force too powerful and too destructive for her to hope to be able to contend with. And this was when Astrid had stepped into this match for her protection. She needed to stand up to the Selection to keep them away from her family, and now, Sarabeth was running back into the line of danger? She hadn't known Sarabeth all that long, but she'd known her enough to feel like her mother. She needed to do whatever she could to protect her - like any rightful mother should. And she had gone into this match with one thing in mind - whatever happened to her, at least Sarabeth would be safe.

But, as Sarabeth explained, she didn't want that from her. She could handle herself, and she needed this moment to prove it. She might've been beaten and bruised, on her last legs, and against a truly ruthless opponent...but she wasn't going to run away. When she looked up into Astrid's eyes, it made the Norsewoman go still. Sarabeth had a burning determination in her - and a determination that Astrid could recognize in herself.

"...but..." She began to say something, but she cut herself short a moment later. How was this any different from what she herself had done, in her youth - when she was determined to become a wrestler just like her father, no matter how much everyone told her it was no life for a girl like her? That it was too dangerous; that a woman had never stepped up to the Ostberg legacy? Now, Sarabeth wanted to follow that same path - and who was she to stand in her way? Had she become the same as everyone who told her she couldn't make it? And when she thought back to how she had wanted to take down the Selection to prove herself, to make herself into the hero LAW needed against this threat...was she letting herself get so caught up in her pursuit of the glory she'd lost that it was costing everyone around her? Her heart beat a little faster, as much from her own inner anxieties as much as it was from the outside world.

"...I'm...sorry," Astrid at last continued, bringing her hands up to rest on Sarabeth's shoulders. She leaned her forehead in against the Young Lioness's own, in a sign of deference; a sign she was listening. "I can't stop you from doing what you think is right...don't let me get in your way any more."

But Astrid was shaken out of her thoughts as Lyra spoke up. The Norwegian looked up toward her, her eyes narrowed in a glare - but before she could say anything, the sound of footsteps echoing down the hall made her freeze. Her muscles went rigid, and she looked behind her with wide eyes at the sound of the Anomaly drawing near. If anything, though, what frightened Astrid the most was that she could feel Sarabeth shivering from how closely she held her. She knew how brave Sarabeth was - if something had managed to shake her, it had to be bad.

And right then, she saw as the Anomaly reached for the breaker. "WAIT!! What are you-!?"

She was too late. Just then, the hallway plunged into darkness. Astrid's heart quickened in her chest, and not even the conversation they'd just had could keep her from pulling Sarabeth closer protectively. Now, they were in the dark; she could hardly see even an inch in front of her. That meant the Selection had free reign to do whatever they pleased...and she already knew they were going to make the most of it.

Already, Astrid could hear the sounds of maniacal giggling echoing from the distance. That was soon followed by the voice of Miza - a voice that seemed all too close, considering how she hadn't seen any sign of the Jackals a minute ago, but in the darkness, Astrid had no idea where it was coming from. "Well, well, weeeeeell!~ It looks like the fun is really about to begin now..."

Astrid leaned down to Sarabeth, her voice soft and hushed. She knew she had promised to hold firm against the Selection, and to silence their reign of terror, but...now, even Sarabeth could feel how much she was quivering. "Sarabeth...stay close, and call out to me if you're in trouble, okay?" Astrid needed a plan she could believe in, just to have that assurance that this just might work out. She hoped it could.

[Pegasus]

This would be so easier with a flashlight and now, Astrid and Sarabeth stood in an overwhelming numbers game. Sarabeth gritted her teeth as the pipe in her hands was their only weapon of survival and she couldn’t be sure where everyone was. Not to mention, Roxanne had cut the feed to the show so the viewers in the arena and anyone watching at home couldn’t see what was happening and like hell production workers would be dumb enough to go back there if it meant The Selection ruthlessly thrashed them. Sarabeth waved her pipe around and kept a listening ear out for any escape route. Maniacal giggling to her left, they would be ambushed going there, footsteps in front of them, Lyra and Cecilia, groaning and grunting from behind, The Anomaly. Sarabeth brushed her right hand across the wall feeling tiles and she cursed under her breath. No way to the right so they were trapped.

That was until her hand hit a doorknob of some kind and she fiddled around with it confirming the object she was touching. Sarabeth felt cold breathing on the back of her neck and Astrid’s as The Anomaly was just mere hands reach away. This door was their only option! Sarabeth opened the door seeing it lead outside into the pitch black nighttime. Sarabeth and Astrid would both get outside as Sarabeth closed the door in the demon’s face making sure to lock it.

“It’s not going to hold them for long, but we can at least breathe for a few minutes,” Sarabeth told her mother as she bent over gasping for breath.

[CaptainL]

When the Anomaly pulled the lever, the entire stadium fell into darkness. Even this late at night, the bright lights flooding the field had kept everyone closely abreast of the action, but it was only now, when the lights were out, that everyone realized just how dark and silent a night it was. The power to the big screen was cut, and no one had any idea what was going on backstage. They didn't know if Astrid or Sarabeth were safe - or what the Selection were doing to them right now. A few whispers from a few brave souls went through the stands - but no one wanted to speak up. No one wanted to tempt fate - or whatever might have been there in the shadows.

And Astrid herself was no less in the dark - literally or figuratively. With the world around her going pitch black, the color drained away from her face, and her whole body went cold and clammy. Astrid had always been one to champion courage and determination as the virtues of a professional wrestler. If one wanted to succeed, she'd proclaimed, they couldn't run away from a challenge - they had to be ready to face anything that lay ahead, no matter how intimidating it might've been, or how little a chance they might've felt they had. And yet, here, she was stunned into a shocked silence. She was too afraid even to breathe, lest that give her away. The sounds she heard around her felt all too close. She didn't know where they were coming from, but she didn't want to leave that to chance. In the darkness, anything was possible.

The fear of the dark. The fear of the unknown. The most basic of all human fears.

Yes, Astrid had always spoken of the importance of courage. Yes, she had stepped up to this match determined to prove she wasn't afraid of the Selection. But right now, she didn't feel the least bit ashamed to be this afraid. She had always believed in never stepping down from a challenge. But this wasn't an ordinary wrestling match. This was...Astrid didn't know what it was. She didn't know what it was they wanted from her, or what they'd do to her. And that was what made it all the more terrifying. Whatever it meant...all rules had gone out the window.

She shuffled along after Sarabeth, letting her boots skid across the tiles so that she wouldn't make any footsteps. Every so often, she heard a step there, a growl there. Her heart jumped in her chest, and her body wanted to gasp, but she squeezed her hand tightly to try and quell that impulse. No. Not here, not now. She couldn't make a sound. She just had to trust in Sarabeth. She was leading her somewhere, at least. She just needed to hope that it would work...and not worry too much about the uncertainty of it all.

But when Astrid felt the Anomaly's cold breath on the back of her neck, she went deathly still, and all the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She whipped herself around, coming face to face with a pair of eyes she could've sworn were glowing in the darkness. Then his hand came down on her shoulder, grasping it with a force so great Astrid felt like she was about to burst. Her breaths quickened into pants, and a cold sweat ran down the back of her neck. This was it, she thought. Whatever came next, this was it...

And it was right then that the door behind Sarabeth fell open, and she pulled Astrid out through the door after her. She felt the cool air of the night on her skin, and as she heard the slam of the door behind her, she realized it was over. She was safe. The Anomaly couldn't get them here.

Astrid fell against the wall, planting her hand against it to brace herself. She panted and gasped, trying to bring the air back into her lungs and calm down her racing heart. But a wave of relief came over her, and soon she pushed herself back up to look at Sarabeth. "That...was close," Astrid muttered. "Too close. I really owe you one there..."

Planting a hand on Sarabeth's shoulder, Astrid gave it a firm squeeze, then looked down at the ground and sighed. Here, she thought she was going to be the one to stand up for Sarabeth, and now the tables had turned. "I'm...sorry. It must be so silly, having to bail your mom out of trouble. What should we do now? We at least have the time to think; we're safe here..."

"Forgetting something?"

Spoiler

Just then, an unfamiliar voice cut through the air. Astrid froze, the color draining from her face as she looked up at the source of her noise. There was one member of the Selection yet unaccounted for - Kanon Fujiwara, the Anomaly's priestess and chief disciple. She had partaken in her own match earlier that night, but it seemed her business was far from finished. How long she'd been there, Astrid didn't know - but as soon as she and Sarabeth thought they were safe, she dropped down from a balcony above them, landing on her feet with a catlike grace. And then, as she swept her scythe through the air, she looked up at the duo, her cold red eyes locked onto them.

It wasn't over. Not yet.

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth yelped as she stared down Kanon and cursed under her breath that they were no longer safe. Any minute could be worse as the locked door was being banged on by The Anomaly and she also heard Roxanne grunting punching at it. This is about to go from bad to worse in a few short seconds if they didn’t think of anything. Not to mention, Sarabeth didn’t even have a current plan to deal with Kanon. She picked up a rock thinking on the spot with this one.

“I didn’t even know you existed! But now that I do, uh, take this!” Sarabeth shouted as she threw the rock right at Kanon’s face putting lady luck behind her throw!

[CaptainL]

From the moment Astrid felt Kanon's glare setting on her, she could feel the goosebumps rising on the back of her neck as a chill washed over her from head to toe. Now, she knew, she was really in trouble. The white-haired woman hadn't had many matches to her name in LAW so far, but her presence was far greater than her record. She had been front and center with the Selection from the beginning, and she had orchestrated events the Norsewoman wasn't even sure if she could explain. How long had she been waiting here, she thought to herself, and how did she know they were coming? Even standing here, staring at her, Astrid could feel a creeping sense of unease coming off Kanon, as though her very gaze was a curse. Kanon was staring right into her soul, and Astrid had never felt quite so vulnerable. When she heard the thud and rattle of the door behind her, the sounds of footsteps and fists and slavering jaws growing louder and louder, it could only make things worse. Her heart beat faster and faster; her feet fidgeted nervously back and forth. They didn't have much time - and they needed to do something.

Well, Sarabeth would indeed do something when she threw the rock at Kanon - but the moment Astrid saw it flying through the air, she could feel her heart sink. She might not have known Kanon all that well, but she did know - almost instinctively; down in her bones - that there was no way she would tolerate this sort of disrespect. The rock bounced off her head with a hollow thud, and for a moment she winced as she took a step back - but as it fell to the ground a moment later, the deathly glare on Kanon's face would only grow narrower and more pointed as she narrowed her eyes on Sarabeth.

"What. Was that."

Astrid wasn't about to leave her stepdaughter at the mercy of an enraged Kanon - she had to get out of here, and fast, before the fury of Hell was called down upon her, quite possibly literally! Sarabeth had at least bought her some time, but she couldn't leave anything to chance. Her arm flying out behind her, Astrid moved to grab Sarabeth and pull her along after her as she took off down the street, her feet carrying her faster than they should've been able to in her tired state. "No time to pick fights! Just run!" The night was dark, and the air seemed almost too cold for this time of year - was it like that a minute ago? But Astrid could only hope she'd find a way back in...

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth’s pupils thinned out as Kanon was looking at her like she was about ready to send her straight to the gallows for execution. In her defense, that was probably the best outcome she could hope for against an uneasy foe. However, her stepmother wasn’t about to let her falter and succumb to the Selection as Astrid used her hulking strength to pick up her daughter to take off down the sidewalk. This wasn’t a matter of winning or losing. The Selection may not kill them outright, but they weren’t stopping at a simple hook of the legs for a three count either.

Sarabeth was put down near a street lamp as it was the only bit of light on the corner. She was clearly exhausted having to run even if for five minutes her mother was more tired than she was. Sarabeth wiped her brow of sweat and someone would hand her a white handkerchief to use as Sarabeth smiled.

“Good on ya, stranger. You a fan?” Sarabeth asked, but her blood ran cold as she accepted the hankerchief from a girl in a black bunny mask and satanic hoodie.

“YEP! OF YOUR DEMISE! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!” Skye Bunnie screamed as she threw a swing at Sarabeth which made the Lioness back up barely missing, but she tripped going down on her back on the sidewalk.

[CaptainL]

With Kanon behind them, Astrid had bolted off into the night. Her legs were pumping at the air as hard and as fast as they could, and she went running ahead, not looking back, not even taking a second to glance around at her surroundings. It was only a few steps in that a realization hit Astrid - a realization that sent a cold wave of dread washing over her. Was she even going the right way? Was she going any closer to the stadium entrance at all? It was pitch black - somehow, the night seemed even darker now than it did just a few minutes ago - and in an unfamiliar city, Astrid barely knew where she was going. Her heart skipped and stuttered for a beat as it hit her. Was she only plunging herself deeper into danger?

Astrid went silent, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as though propelled by the electric jolt that seemed to shoot through her right now. But she didn't stop, and she didn't slow down. Somehow, she knew that to do that would be even worse - that it would just put herself and Sarabeth in danger. And she knew all the more that she didn't want Sarabeth to know that she was this nervous. That she was afraid. More than anything else, Sarabeth needed someone she could believe in - someone she could feel confident was holding back the darkness. Astrid needed to be that person. She needed to be strong - whether she really was or not.

At last, Astrid could run no further. She was forced to skid to a stop by the street lamp - almost as soon as she did, she doubled over forward beneath the pressure of her own weight, slumped against the post and gasping for air. Her legs quivered beneath her like jelly, and the metallic taste of exhaustion clung to her mouth. She looked back and forth - where was she? At first, a worried look crossed her face, but she shook that out of her thoughts. Sarabeth couldn't see that. She couldn't afford to be so weak.

"Sara...beth...are you okay..?" Astrid asked, her words coming in between pants. Slowly she turned her head to her stepdaughter - and it was right then that she froze at the sight of someone - something? - passing her a handkerchief. Sarabeth didn't seem to care from the casual tone in her voice, but Astrid had seen far too many horrors in the night tonight to trust such an offer. She knew that as long as she was surrounded by darkness and uncertainty, she was in the Anomaly's domain - there, she couldn't trust anyone.

"SARABETH, NO-!!" Astrid called out to her daughter - but it was too late. Just seconds later, the stranger swung for Sarabeth. At that same exact moment, Astrid sprung closer, her arm shooting out to close the gap. It didn't even matter that Sarabeth managed to dodge; Astrid was already in motion. She would grab the intruder by the arm, using the momentum to swing her around and slam her back up against the lamppost. If that worked, she would lean forward, still holding onto her arm, to pin it down against the girl's neck, holding her in place.

And when she looked this newcomer up and down...Astrid blinked a few times, realizing she had no idea who this person was, or where she'd come from. Just how many disciples did the Anomaly have?

"You..." she muttered under her breath. "Who are you-?"