Astrid Ostberg vs. Kathleen Hendricks - Rushing Tides

[TickTock]

Kathleen's retreat to the outside of the ring had numerous reasons. To gain rest after Astrid's brief onslaught, to test the waters on Astrid's respect of the rules and see if she'd breach the limits of the ring to continue her attack and, either have a dangerous environment to hurt her if she would, or the distance to play mind games and talk trash if not. And it seemed that as Kathleen was allowed to reach her feet and look towards the blonde standing in the ring, unmoving, she opted for the latter. Perhaps there was respect in her commitment to the rules, but the Queen only saw weakness in not being willing to do whatever it took to achieve victory. And perhaps that was why Astrid was on her downfall, as when it came to the peak competition in LAW, she couldn't hang sticking to her set of morals. And even against a woman such as Kathleen, who disparaged her for such weakness, she refused to give in. Once more, perhaps an admirable trait to most, but her opponent just saw someone who refused to adapt. And as committed as Kathleen was to this sport, who accepted that total victory sometimes meant skirting the rules, it was disgusting that this woman was on top for so long, and yet be so sheltered in those ridiculous ideas.

Which was why Kathleen took such shrewd satisfaction in seeing her words barb as much as they did. The color draining from Astrid's face and the shocked expression on her face - no, not just shock, but doubt. Fear. It was as if her entire view on wrestling was crumbling down atop her, in that a scoundrel like Kathleen could see her utmost weakness and fear, and exploit that. Those innermost doubts on if she was truly brave enough for this, if she was good enough for this, they all seeped to the surface with that look on her face. And for once, the Queen of Domination allowed herself a bit of a smile. Usually, her emotions in the ring were more reserved, and if she broke, it was anger. It was a rarity to see her smile, but a sadistic one making her lips turn upward into a smirk, and there was almost a bit of a saunter as she walked up the steps, seeing Astrid clutch her arm tighter.

Of course, Astrid tried to disprove her, but Kathleen merely shook her head, standing on the apron now and walking on it, in preparation to enter the ring. "If you insist on telling me that, then you're going to have to show me a lot more than-" Then the thunderous stomps of Astrid's boots running across the mat hit her ears, and the middleweight turned her gaze to suddenly see the heavyweight charge at her. Her smile disappeared and her eyes went wide. She had tried to secure a position near the referee to ensure such an attack wouldn't happen, but it seemed even the official didn't want to be in the barreling path of the former champion, leaving the Queen defenseless to this attack!

Astrid's body ended up slamming against Kathleen's upper body, sending her toppling down from the apron! In that split moment, all she could think to do was to do her best to roll her body so that she could avoid as much of the heavyweight's body landing atop of her as she could, hands pushed up against that big torso. But even then, it wasn't as though her efforts meant she wasn't receiving an absolutely nasty fall, her back and head still taking most of the brunt of that impact, each landing with a sickening smack against the padded floor, but with as much weight and velocity put into the move, it might as well have been bare concrete she landed on. Laid out in a supine position, her eyes were wide and her lips were clamped shut, to do her best to endure the enormous amount of pain radiating through her body, as well as the screaming agony in her head. Hands were clawing at the air as her elbows pressed against the ground, and she couldn't even think of lifting her legs, which were splayed out and limp.

Needless to say, the Queen of Domination wasn't bouncing back up from this anytime soon, and depending on how Astrid landed, she very well may be at her mercy as well.

[CaptainL]

Astrid heard Kathleen taunt her as she came close, but she didn't have a retort for it. In fact, she didn't say anything. She didn't need to - she was on a collision course, and her actions would speak well enough for themselves! It was true that the Norsewoman was reluctant to do anything that might approach the threat of breaking with the rules of wrestling. Her belief in the virtues of fair and sportsmanlike competition was firm and unmoving, and even if she was on the back foot, she wasn't prepared to let that change any time soon - if she wanted to prove that she still had what it took to maintain her place on top of the competition, title or no title, Astrid wasn't going to compromise; to do so would be to prove that she couldn't succeed by her own merits. However...even as patient as Astrid could be, she did have her limits, and now, Kathleen seemed intent on finding those limits. She had quickly realized that Kathleen wasn't going to listen to reasoning, and she wasn't going to back down. If the only option left was for Astrid to take the fight to her...then she would do just that.

And it seemed like Kathleen had gotten more than she bargained for, too! Just as she was preparing to get back in the ring, Astrid cut her off, flinging her body into her opponent's at full speed! Kathleen couldn't hope to stay up against such oncoming force - Astrid bowled her off her feet, throwing her back from the apron, and straight down to the ground below! They landed with a thud, and while a few of the fans winced at the thought of how hard a landing it must have been, many more cheered for what was looking to be a comeback for the Norsewoman - and a long-overdue lesson for Kathleen!

"One! Two!" As the referee reset the count with both women out of the ring, Astrid pushed herself up onto her hands and knees. She panted a few times, drawing the air back into her lungs, but it wasn't long before she realized that Kathleen was flattened on her back beneath her. As much as Kathleen might have tried to stand up against Astrid's incredible might, now the blonde was making everyone keenly aware of who held the size advantage! Astrid knew she had an opportunity, now, to turn things around - and it was an opportunity she wouldn't dare to shy away from!

"Three! Four!" Sucking in a breath, Astrid bent down to scoop Kathleen up as she rose to her feet, guiding her up to her shoulders to get her into a fireman's carry position. If she could so secure her opponent, she would turn to climb over the ropes, heading back into the ring. "You're not getting away from me so easily..." she said in between pants, "that's for sure!" If she could carry Kathleen to the center of the ring, she would shrug her off her shoulders, leaving her to fall to the canvas.

Spoiler

[TickTock]

The size advantage was one thing. But it was also having the athleticism to not only break out into a fast sprint in a split second just as Astrid did, but also to leap cleanly over the ropes, that allowed someone to truly abuse that size and make it deadly, as Kathleen was feeling as she writhed on the ground. But none of that meant anything if one didn't have the mental fortitude and bravery to try such a thing... which is what Kathleen just goaded her into. She had thought that playing the mental game like she did would rather Astrid frozen, like her words were as potent as Medusa's gaze. Yet, as she stood on the apron, the former champion summoned the willpower to not only do something about those words, but do something reckless such as that dive.

And now Kathleen was paying the price, not even able to think of moving as she laid there on the ground in agony. And to her dismay, it seemed Astrid was left mostly unharmed by the spill herself - she did have a decent cushion for it - and was now free to enact her revenge for those attempts to get inside the head of the heavyweight. And while her body was stiff in pain, there was no mistake that Astrid was free to do whatever she wished with the Queen in this state, and she did just that with hauling the limp body of her opponent up.

Kathleen realized of course that she was in trouble once she was laid on those shoulders, yet she was powerless to do a thing to stop it. Her body was still seized up in pain, and thus, a powerhouse like Astrid would have zero issues carrying her back into the ring. It was embarrassing, feeling as though she was being paraded around by her opponent, and not being able to retaliate to such disrespect too, forced to lay atop those shoulders and wait for whatever revenge the Norsewoman could think of to come.

And yet it wasn't a glorious move. Kathleen was merely shoved off of those shoulders, shrugged as though she were an afterthought, and falling that distance all the way down onto her front. "GUGH!" Kathleen gurgled out her grunt of pain at the impact, curling up and clutching her ribs as they took the brunt of the fall. Her hair splayed out across the mat, unfortunately not hiding her agonized expression, as her mouth remained agape and panting, eyes staring off into nothing, knowing she should be making an effort to move. Her fist even briefly slammed against the mat in frustration, a show of the anger and pain she was feeling - and how little she could do about it right now.

[CaptainL]

Kathleen had managed to dig underneath Astrid's armor. She had goaded her into action; she had forced the Norsewoman's hand, spurring her to meet her head-on. Even if it meant compromising her firm belief in the sanctity of fair play and honorable combat, Astrid knew she had to meet her challenge if she wanted to uphold her good name. Now more than ever, the former champion was determined to prove to the world that she was still every bit as capable as she was in her reign; that she wasn't washed up and past her prime now that she had lost her title. If she had to concede to Kathleen's taunts, she would do it, as long as she wouldn't be branded a coward. But when Astrid came charging straight toward her foe, tackling her off the apron with a crossbody...the speed and force with which she threw herself had taken Kathleen off-guard! Now, the brunette's own strategy to force Astrid's hand in sealing her own doom had come back to bite her!

Unprepared for the brunt of the collision, Kathleen was bowled out onto the floor, sandwiched between the unforgiving ground and Astrid's weight. The landing had left her shaken and stunned. And as soon as Astrid collected herself, she was ready to press her advantage even more - as she scooped her opponent up onto her shoulders, carrying her back into the ring! The sight of Astrid lifting her foe with such ease, carrying her like a trophy, had won her many a cheer from the fans. It was a picture of dominance and defiance from the Norwegian, one that showed that no matter how much contempt Kathleen had for her, in the end she meant nothing to Astrid - that she was going to make her pay for her insolence. And of course, they cheered for more practical reasons, too - because if Astrid was able to set up a slam like this, it meant that she was taking back control, and standing up to Kathleen!

For a moment, Astrid stopped to face the crowd with a smile as Kathleen fell against the mat. She placed her hands on her hips and stretched out her spine, working the kinks out of her back. Even after it all, she still had her fans who were willing to stand by her and support her, and who were as thrilled as ever by the sight of her dominating the competition. The cheers reminded her of that fact, and they gave her a reason to keep at it! But a moment later, Astrid looked back down at Kathleen, and the proud look on her face contorted into a snarl. Astrid knew she wasn't done. The fireman's carry drop wouldn't be enough to truly prove her point. If Kathleen had wanted to prove that Astrid was a coward, that she was hopeless, that she could never live up to her past glories...then Astrid needed to put forth everything she could to tell the world how wrong she was. She couldn't just beat Kathleen. She had to make it a spectacle of her strength and prowess!

No sooner had Astrid dusted off her hands that she was right back in action, stepping up behind the fallen middleweight. Leaning down, Astrid moved to grab Kathleen by her arm and drag her up into a seated position. If she could do that, she would duck down, bending at the knees to bring herself low enough to lace her arms around Kathleen's waist. And then, she would shove her feet firmly against the mat - forcing herself back up to her full height, and swinging Kathleen back over her shoulders as she did to try and slam her head and shoulders into the canvas with a German suplex!

[TickTock]

This was the fea--the worry of Kathleen's when she called out Astrid. The choice to call out and ridicule the Norsewoman wasn't one made hastily, but one made with plenty of thought and preparation to it. This wasn't a game for the Queen, who entered matches unprepared and found herself surprised by her opponent's style or gameplan. She thoroughly studied Astrid, assessed her strengths and weaknesses, and came up with her strategy. And at times, that strategy certainly seemed worthwhile, having left her frozen in the ring under her barbs and making her howl with the attack to her arm. But no strategy was perfect, as unwilling as Kathleen was to admit that to herself.

The power of Astrid's was by far the greatest strength between the two. For all of Kathleen's technical prowess, her cunning, her striking ability, she knew that couldn't match the pure strength of the former champion, and she'd be in danger if those hands got on her and she hadn't thoroughly damaged that arm prior. And... damn it, she got too cocky. She saw how her words had paralyzed the heavyweight, and was slow to capitalize, instead choosing to rub it in. In the end, she had given Astrid spirit instead of crushing it, and that crossbody from the apron to the floor was only the beginning of her punishment for her stupid mistake. Next, she ended up on the shoulders of the larger woman, carried around as though she weighed nothing, and then unceremoniously dropped inside the ring, crushing her ribs even further.

Now that was pain Kathleen would have to deal with for the rest of the match, the agony of her chest feeling as though it was crushing her lungs. Breath was scarce to get, especially now in the aftermath of that slam. Laying there, frustration lit up in her, making her skin hot to the touch as she gleamed with sweat, desperately trying to get air in through her mouth, and figure out a way to get back into this. But even with her anger and agony, she was still acutely aware of the situation, of time passing, and laying there, she expected the next move to come quickly; it's what she would've done, if she had such an advantageous position. Yet it didn't. Turning her head over, it almost felt like a mistake to do so with the amount of effort it took, but she needed eyes on her foe. And the sight she caught was outrageous.

Astrid was posing. So soon after Kathleen thought her words had left an incurable wound on her, she was playing up to the fans, looking to them for support and adulation. That... enraged the Queen. While it was something typical for the heartwarming 'heroes' of the people to do, to do so after what Kathleen did and said to her? It was worse than a slap to the face. And the worst thing about it was that, even with the rage boiling her blood, she still couldn't do anything about it. If looks could kill, she'd have reduced Astrid to dust, but that was her only weapon right now, as both her body and her lungs failed her, leaving her unable to move or even speak in retaliation.

Needless to say in that case, when Astrid went back on the attack, Kathleen was helpless to stop it. Dragged into a seated position, she had difficulty maintaining even that, with reached uselessly with a hand to try and secure... anything. But she got nothing but air, and as those arms wrapped around her body and lifted, air blew against her back as she was yanked through it, the momentum blurring before coming to a sudden stop as she was slammed to the mat with that German Suplex! "...!" Kathleen tried to yell, but the impact ruined all the progress she made to get air back into her lungs, not to mention the excruciating pain that boggled her mind and upper back. Kathleen only managed to get one arm behind her to cover the back of her head, but the whiplash still sent her into a potentially concussive daze, and she remained folded over in that moment, staring up at the lights through her spread legs hanging over her, mouth still agape to start from the beginning on learning how to breathe.

[CaptainL]

When the match had grown as intense as it had, both women needed to keep pushing themselves forward to propel themselves to the finish. With so much on the line, they would need to use every bit of stamina they had in them and then some. But both women were finding strength from the adversity they faced. In Astrid's case, she knew that Kathleen wanted nothing more than to tear her down - to expose all her faults, her weaknesses, and her shortcomings in front of all her fans; to call her status into question - and it was because of this that she was all the more determined to prove her wrong; that she was willing to push herself the extra mile just to prevent the middleweight from delivering the crushing blow she wanted to land. When Astrid was up against a wall like this, she needed to take things a step beyond to prevent her worst fears from being realized. Yet now, she was doing it. When she found that strength in her to push back, and with every stride she made, Astrid felt like she was starting to turn the tides - and with it, her confidence grew more and more, assured that she could stand up to Kathleen after all.

But Kathleen knew Astrid was shrugging off her best attempts to humble and humiliate her for the world to see. That, too, incensed her. And just as Astrid had been determined to fight on to prove Kathleen wrong, Kathleen was motivated to prove Astrid wrong. If nothing she'd tried so far would keep the Norwegian down for long...then Kathleen would just be motivated to try harder.

And it was for that very reason that it was so important that Astrid seize on the momentum she'd just achieved - she couldn't turn back now! She had Kathleen right where she wanted her, and she was closer to victory than ever before - she just needed to keep after it! The German suplex she'd just landed had rattled Kathleen's system, causing the brunette to sag limply against the canvas; Astrid could feel the slack set into her muscles and tendons, and the way the air was driven out of her lungs. She knew it had hit her hard. But she couldn't stop here! Now she had Kathleen knocked senseless, and she was still right there in her grasp - in a perfect position for Astrid to capitalize on! She couldn't afford her even a second, lest she slip away!

The fans were cheering even louder at the comeback Astrid was making. But they would cheer louder still when they saw what the Norsewoman had up her sleeve next! Firmly planting the soles of her feet against the canvas, Astrid bridged her back upward - and with it, forced Kathleen's shoulders against the mat as she tried to transition into a pin attempt! The referee slid down to Astrid's side, and with every count made, the fans echoed it with a cheer!

"ONE!!"

[TickTock]

Laying there in an inglorious position, it was sure to be a sight that Kathleen would work day and night to remove from everyone’s memory. The image of folded up, bleary eyed, looking incredulous in her own state of being. But that was the nature of the German Suplex and it’s force inflicted upon the Queen, who felt she could very well go under if she lost grip of her thoughts and her memory. Her memory of what this match was about, and how badly Kathleen sought to achieve victory, even if entering a peaceful nap would soothe her raging headache and compressed ribs. And keeping such a mind no matter how difficult it was made her realize just what was happening to her.

Her body folded up more, shoulders firmly pushing against the mat, and the loud call of the first count of the first pinfall of the match. And fighting against the pain of her brain scrambling, Kathleen knew it couldn’t end like this… but how could she kick out? The way she was pinned, raising her shoulders upward was an impossible task. And rolling over seemed the same, leaving her no avenue to kick out…

”TWO!” the referee counted, and urgency flooded the Queen. There was one maneuver she could try, and while it wasn’t foolproof, it wasn’t as though Kathleen had anything to lose by trying it.
Quickly, her hands above her twisted and fingers pushed hard against the mat. And just as the referee’s hand began to thrust down for the three… Kathleen gave her legs a harsh kick backwards!

“Thr-!” Kathleen forced her body to roll backwards, hoping to break Astrid’s grip around her waist and fall down onto her front, breaking the pin just in time! It wasn’t a glorious kick out, but it was all she could muster, to save herself and give her a fighting chance! And now, even with her body screaming at her, Kathleen began to crawl. Away from Astrid, and securing her hands on the bottom ropes. She couldn’t remain grounded, it was a death sentence, nor could she let the heavyweight pick her up. Desperately, she tried to climb up the ropes in a nearby corner, to get back to her feet and lean herself up against the turnbuckles.

But of course, Astrid wasn’t far away… and the Queen felt a knot in her stomach at the idea of what she had planned next.

[CaptainL]

When she hurled Kathleen down head-first into the mat, Astrid felt many things. She felt vindication and relief for being able to pull off such a move; she felt the satisfaction of shutting her opponent up. But perhaps more than anything else, Astrid felt powerful. Kathleen, she knew, was an opponent determined to tear her down - to make her feel weak and hopeless; to leave her questioning how strong she really was, and how much of a chance she had to succeed. But now, she had delivered a rebuttal. When Kathleen's head and shoulders hit the canvas, it was Astrid's way of saying that she wasn't done for yet - and that she wasn't going to let anyone push her around any time soon! That she had performed a move she'd made herself famous with, and that she had left Kathleen in such an ignoble and humbling position in the process, could only lift Astrid's spirits higher. As she felt the ring rumble beneath her weight, she held her chin higher, looking out at the crowd with a proud smile across her face as she puffed out her chest. She heard the cheers ring out in celebration for another show of her strength, and she heard each thump of the referee's hand behind her, bringing her closer and closer to victory. Every passing second made her heart thump harder in her chest - it was a reminder she still had what it took!

When the ref raised a hand a third time, Astrid looked back over her shoulder, and her body went tense with anticipation of the moment the final call would be made - the call that would end things once and for all, and prove Kathleen wrong. But the match wasn't over yet. Just then, Kathleen's leg kicked free of Astrid's grasp, and as she rolled back, she was able to grab onto the ropes, sending Astrid off of her in the process!

Astrid went tumbling over off of her opponent, falling on her stomach. She took a moment to shake herself out, lifting herself onto her hands and knees as she dusted off her front. When she saw Kathleen climbing up the ropes to get away from her, she grumbled under her breath in disappointment. But this, too, wasn't the end, she reminded herself. Soon enough, Astrid sat back up straight, and a glare settled on Kathleen. She might've evaded her this time, but Astrid had no intentions of letting her escape forever!

"Oh, no, you don't-!" Astrid's determination to stand up to Kathleen was all she needed to propel herself back to her feet, and she went storming toward her opponent, reaching out to grab a hold of her. If she could get her hands on Kathleen, she would pull her straight off the ropes, prepared to drop her into a scoop slam!

[TickTock]

Astrid refused to go away, and while that persistence was annoying, Kathleen refused to let herself lose either! Her body ached all over; a pins and needle feeling running through her chest and upper back, along with her head feeling like a jackhammer slammed against it. But it was that feeling that allowed the Queen to stay conscious, and stay focused on her goal, no matter what setback: to destroy this woman, both mentally and physically. She had shown an ability to get inside her head before and stand tall over her, she just needed to show it again.

Easier said than done. Kathleen was just barely able to climb up the ropes, using them as salvation to reach a standing base, and leaning against the turnbuckles to try and catch a breath. Yet the former heavyweight champion was after her in an instant, and the Queen’s eyes widened. She was in no position to wrangle out of those arms if they got ahold of her, and another mat-shaking slam could be enough to leave her helpless for a while longer. And if that happened… was Kathleen confident she could kick out again? That German Suplex was nearly enough to finish her, and Astrid had shown she was capable of far more, deadlier power moves. Ones… that could break the Queen.

So, without even thinking, Kathleen pushed out of the ropes and leapt, attempting to use Astrid’s own momentum with her leg being attacked with a front dropkick right to the knee! Speed wasn’t the heel’s ally right now, and thus, she has to try and hope she had enough striking power to at least halt the raging heavyweight.

If such an attack worked, Kathleen was laid on the mat, having landed right on her back. Yet she had to bite back her pain from doing so. She had to keep up her attack! Scrambling to her feet, hands found the attire of Astrid’s and, with all the power her arms could muster, lift her to a standing base and charge her forward — shoving her between the nearby turnbuckles and attempting to slam her shoulder-first right into the steel ring post!

[CaptainL]

To Astrid, there was more at stake than mere victory. She might not have been a champion any more, but it didn't change the fact that she was defending something in this match, and she was going to fight with her life to hold onto it. Kathleen wasn't just out to beat her, but to call into question the very pedestal Astrid had put herself on through her title run, showing the world she was past her prime - that she couldn't hope to compete. To Astrid, that very thought was an even graver insult than losing could ever be. No matter what happened, she vowed, she couldn't let Kathleen come away with the satisfaction of knowing she had broken the Norsewoman's confidence. She had to stand in her way. And when Kathleen went scrambling away, trying to right herself as soon as she had broken the pin, Astrid wasn't about to let her!

With her eyes fixed on Kathleen in a deathly glare, the blonde's fingers wrapped around her sides, giving her a sharp tug back to pull her off the ropes and into her grasp. If she could just get her under control, she thought, she'd be able to send her slamming back down to earth, cutting short any hopes of a comeback she might've made. It was the sort of power-based offense that Astrid had long used to vouch for her strength, and she was used to the opponents she faced utilizing similar styles. So when Kathleen hurled herself toward her with speed and agility for her next move, it was safe to say that Astrid didn't see it coming!

Before Astrid could pull her opponent off the ropes, Kathleen pushed all her weight against the cables - and with the force of the rebound behind her, she shot herself right back in her foe's direction! Clearly, she had some fight in her yet! The fervor with which she threw herself back into the fray was enough to catch Astrid by surprise, and her eyes went wide to see Kathleen hurtling closer - but she couldn't react in time to stop Kathleen's feet from driving into her knee! Her teeth gnashing as pain erupted through her legs, Astrid dropped straight down, losing her footing and going to one knee. That was enough to leave her dazed for a moment. And that moment was just long enough for Kathleen to take advantage.

The next thing Astrid knew, Kathleen was already closing in on her, and in seconds the Queen had grabbed hold of her leotard, using it as leverage to drag Astrid to her feet - and from there, to run her toward the ropes. Astrid tried to get her hands up to defend herself, pushing back at her foe, but she knew she wouldn't have much time. She could already tell that Kathleen was either going to slam her into the turnbuckles or through the ropes, and she only had a fleeting few seconds to intervene in the meantime. But she was determined to make those seconds count.

Just as Kathleen hurled her through the ropes, Astrid latched onto her opponent's waist, going to hoist her up into the air - and tossing her back in an arc! She couldn't stop herself from going through the ropes, and as she fell, her head slammed into the steel steps with a loud crash, leaving her ears ringing and her head spinning. Pain was surging through her skull, and she reached up to rub at her temples to try and dull the sensation. But if all went well, at least she would've brought Kathleen over the ropes, and sent her out of the ring with her!