Astrid smirked to herself, just hearing what Jess had to say to her. The cowgirl may have wanted to taunt her, but what she didn't know was that Astrid was already setting things up to land another blow on her, one even more devastating than the last. For a moment, Astrid considered saying something in response. But soon she realized she wouldn't need to. Her actions would do a perfectly fine job of speaking for her. And when Jess's head and shoulders came down against the canvas with a thunderous impact, that was all that was needed to answer her question.
With Jess laid out flat, Astrid rolled aside from her, getting to her feet and dusting herself off. Her heart was pounding, and as she turned her head up to look out on the crowd, she heard them all cheering for her. Rolling her shoulders to try and work through some of the ache in her sore and fatigued muscles, Astrid's smile grew wider, and she raised a fist to her fans in a gesture of strength. She had Jess where she needed her, and there was only one thing left to do.
Bending down, Astrid scooped Jess up, slinging the challenger over her shoulders. As she marched to the center of the ring, she looked up, toward the fans and into the lights. In that moment, Astrid thought about all that had gotten her here. All of Jess's taunts and threats had been goading Astrid to this moment, and it had been the tensest confrontation of her entire life, with more on the line than she had ever before wagered. But that had only spurred her on to new heights, inspiring her to keep the dream of her victory alive, no matter what. She might have been sore, she might have been worn down - but now, as the light glinted off of the grin that lit up her face, it would all be worth it.
Sucking in a breath, Astrid gathered the strength in her as she went off to a running start. Then, as she bellowed out a battle cry, the Norwegian threw herself into the mat, spiking Jess down in her signature Stavanger Buster!
