L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

marched through the backstage area like a man on a mission, with staff members stepping aside to give him a wide berth, the site being something akin to the parting of the Red Sea. He wasn't even on this show: This was a small local event that was put together to drum up interest for the PPV. But it still had somebody higher up on the chain running things. The same person in charge of overlooking the PPV. And they were gonna have a talk.

No more calls. No more assistants. Fuck all of that. Severin was done with the proper channels. He was done being nice.

The beating that his opponent, Tia Harris, and her buddy Akane threw him had nearly cost him. Only nearly, fortunately. A concussion and some internal bruising, which he was still feeling today, one day fresh out of the hospital with the clearance to compete just two days before showtime. From a doctor who'd originally told him that he was going to have to miss Fight The LAW and sounding so certain about it, only to later tell him that he was mistaken and signing off on it.

That was no coincidence. But that's beside the point: He can deal with a simple beating. His body will heal. But seeing the love of his life in the state she was, eyes bloodshot from the tears she cried, worried sick about him...That, he couldn't take.

He'd been found some minutes after he fell unconscious outside. The sirens that announced the presence of an ambulance gave her the answer that she was so desperate for after he'd stopped responding to her. It was her voice that woke him as the paramedics were about to load him inside.

The distress it caused her, and then Beatriz when she was informed was the worst part of it all.

When

saw him, she simply nodded and followed his lead, right over to the manager's office. Which a blond man in a suit was just leaving. Not the blond man in a suit -- not Dan "The Man", but Severin recognized him: Nathaniel Henderson. He was one of those assistants he spoke to when he was trying to do things normally, and one of those who spoke to him with that "we have better things to do" energy. Severin gave him a simple one-handed push aside and went through the still open door.

"Hey!"

With Bella playing interference, dragging him away. "The man's got impor'ant business t' handle, mate. No needs t' go muckin' it up."

Severin closed the door, leaving him alone with a bespectacled, raven-haired woman in a suit. She looked to be somewhere in her thirties. Had her hair done up in a bun. She looked pretty nice, actually, giving further confirmation to his suspicion that LAW only employs beautiful women. It's all he's ever seen around here, though that wasn't the complaint that brought him here.

She met him with a cold glare. A silent challenge to take a course of action that she'd make him regret. Or try to. He didn't falter, helping himself to a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

"Black Severin. What business do you have that's so important that you couldn't wait to be called in?"

"Well, first of all, y'all don't ever answer your phones, so..."

"If you're smart, you'll refrain from ever taking that tone with me again. And I'm still waiting for an answer to my question." She spoke before he could get a word out of his mouth, prompting the narrowing of his eyes at her. He was in no mood for this. "No, actually, I have a better one for you: Why should I not summon security to escort you from the premises right now?"

Wanna play it like that, huh? Okay.

Severin shrugged and leaned back in the chair, putting his feet up on the desk. Making himself comfortable. "You wanna call your boys? Or your girls; whoever you've got -- I'on give a fuck about none o' that. Go ahead and press that button. Make that call. But let me tell you right now: I am not in a good mood. And I'm sure you've seen how security holds up against wrestlers when they're not in a good mood.

I didn't come here for you, lady-"

"Mrs. Henderson. If you're going to threaten me, you'll address me properly while you're doing it."

Breathe in. Breathe out. Through the nose. Every word that's come out of her mouth so far has done nothing but make him angrier. He took his feet off of the desk, and scooted more towards the desk so he could set clasped hands atop of it, meeting her challenging glare with one of his own. His voice was low, but thick with menace. "I didn't come here for you...lady. But if you make me have to deal with them, I'm afraid I won't be as nice about the request I came to ask of you."

"Ah, you're here about the mix-up at the Cugo Gran Macina, right?" She tried to brush off the threat like it was nothing, but Severin could see the sweat forming at her brow. How she clenched her own clasped hands. "That was a rather unfortunate incident."

"Which y'all didn't do nothing about. Funny how my opponent for Fight The LAW wound up with a key to my hotel room. Her and her friend."

"The room was both of yours, to do with as you pleased. It's not on us if the roommate situation didn't work out for you."

"So you knew about this?"

"I made arrangements for the room, yes."

"They put me in the fucking hospital. My girl was worried sick! My best friend was worried sick!"

"Something I advise you to think about more before you decide to challenge authority. Good luck in your match, Black Severin."

Severin got out of his chair and circled the desk, moving quickly. Mrs. Henderson reached for a button underneath, but failed to press it before two strong hands took hold of her. The woman was 5'10 and 128 pounds. He didn't know that, but it didn't matter. She was still well within the range where he could lift with the utmost of ease, up and out of her chair, and against the wall.

Not into: There was no throw, no slam. He just hauled her around like she was a small child and held her there. Her mouth opened to scream, but sheer terror kept the sound inside. His stare grew harder. Baleful, pregnant with cold fury, with the tone to match it. "I advise you to stop pushing me, Mrs. Henderson."

"Y-you -- you do realize I'm running this show, right?" She was desperate, clinging onto the one thing that she believed would get him to back off. "And the authority that comes with that? I can make your life hell! And send word for others to do the same! You will never know peace in LAW again!"

"Look at me, lady. Take a good look into my eyes. Do you see anything that says that I give a fuck about your authority?" When she answered with silence, he decided to throw some of her words back into her face. "I'm waiting for an answer!"

"No! No, I don't!"

"Good! And now that that's established, how about we move on to my request, huh? Me and Tia Harris. Hell. In a Cell."

"Consider it booked!"

And with that, he set her down on her feet, more gently than she deserved, surprising her. The fear was still overwhelming, quaking her willowy form.

"Thank you. And now I'll leave the premises. Have a good fucking day." It was evening, actually, but who gets every little detail straight when they're pissed off?

And out he went, knowing full well that this wasn't over. That she'd likely try to pull some strings to screw him over again in his match. But for now, he was victorious. A minute after Severin was out the door, Mrs. Henderson finally sat back down, reached for her phone and dialed a number.

"Get me in touch with Tia Harris, immediately. We have something to discuss."