Confessions of a Champion

[CaptainL]

Astrid wasn't ready. She hadn't come here expecting to be interrupted at all, let alone to be jumped when her guard was down. But the Selection didn't want to wait for her to be ready. They wanted to send a message that they were a force to be feared - and the way they saw fit to accomplish that was by going after one of LAW's most accomplished and well-respected wrestlers. They needed to show they were unstoppable - and that meant that even someone as renowned as Astrid Ostberg would need to be afraid of them, where the world would see. They had certainly succeeded at their goal of making Astrid squirm. But they could do better than that. Now, they wanted to leave her bruised and battered...and it was working.

With each blow the Jackals landed against Astrid, kicking and stomping all over her sides and her gut, the Norsewoman coughed and wheezed, sputtering for breath. Her head was spinning, and she panted and groaned, her voice hoarse and strangled. She had all but deflated as the strength was let out of her body, causing her to sink low against the ground. But the gaze Roxanne settled on her showed no mercy, nor did the Jackals show any sign they would stop - not until Lyra called them back. On cue, they stopped what they were doing, standing stiffly at attention as they fell back at her side. But then, Lyra's attentions turned to Cecilia - and as her name was called, at last Cecilia looked up from where her head hung low to the ground.

"Ah, hrmm?" she began, tilting her head curiously toward Lyra. There was a lilt in her voice, an almost disinterested distance between her and her reality - but then, she nodded. "...as you wish." Storming closer to Astrid, her eyes settled on the Norwegian with a cold glare, one that seemed to pierce straight through her. Astrid could feel herself trembling, as though Cecilia was seeing straight into the depths of her soul. As though there was nothing she had to protect herself. It was that sense of exposure, of vulnerability, that scared her even more than what she knew was about to happen.

She could feel the cold sweat that ran down the back of her neck, and the thump of her heart in her chest as she awaited the inevitable, no matter how much she knew she wouldn't like whatever came. It seemed like an eternity of silence passed. But then, in a flash, Cecilia struck. Astrid's mouth was hanging agape in shock as she stared back blankly toward Cecilia, wondering just what would've had to happen to her to make someone as independent as Cecilia was so subservient - which meant that it was wide open as Cecilia jammed her fingers into her mouth, which curled into a claw that dug deep into her nerves!

"Mmf!! MMFF!!" Astrid's eyes had gone wide in shock, and her whole body ran with a cold sweat. Her entire body felt like it was on fire - but a cold fire, one that numbed her just as much as it hurt. She tried to twist and turn, desperate to get away, but she couldn't budge. She had locked up in place, and her own body was betraying her, holding her back from what she knew she had to do. Little by little, her joints began to creak and shudder as a heaviness set into her bones, and her eyes began to roll back in her head. But there was still one thought that went through Astrid's head - that nagging knowledge that she was vulnerable.

[Pegasus]

Lyra just sat in a cross-legged fashion on the floor watching as Cecilia essentially put down her upcoming foe. The crowd couldn’t respond to encourage Astrid as the Norsewoman was on her own for this time. Sure, she’s faced tougher foes in the past as a champion, but it was five-on-one against her and she had no allies or even a weapon at her disposal to help her out. Astrid was quickly losing consciousness as Cecilia clamped down the Anomaly’s signature submission and she wasn’t showing signs of letting go.

Theme Song

The crowd turned to the entrance cheering loudly as they came alive for a savior in Astrid’s stepdaughter, Sarabeth, coming out with a steel chair in hand. She glared down the Selection not showing one bit of fear and Lyra made Cecilia let go of Astrid as she directed their attention towards Sarabeth. The Young Lioness was either seen as brave or pretty stupid as her mother was incapacitated and she was the only standing on two legs against the disciples, but she wasn’t going to let that intimidate her. Sarabeth charged into battle by herself raising her steel chair able to bounce it off Lyra’s head before going after the other members to a rowdy cheer!

[CaptainL]

Astrid was only barely hanging on to the shores of consciousness. Her whole body felt heavy and numb, and even her thoughts were only coming to her slowly through a haze as her head swam. But she was still lucid enough to hear the music, however weary she was. And when it came over the speakers, her eyes went wide and her body straightened as she looked back over her shoulder, toward the entrance ramp. "Huuuhh..? Sara...beth..?" she groaned, her words half-drowned by the daze she was in. But she would've recognized that music anywhere. And so too, when Astrid's stepdaughter came charging down the ramp and into the fray, it was unmistakeable! Everyone else, it seemed, had been too intimidated by the Selection to even think to raise a finger against them. But to Sarabeth, Astrid was family. And she was going to put everything on the line to stand up for her, just as Astrid had stood up for her!

At Lyra's command, Cecilia released Astrid's jaw, jumping away just in time to see Sarabeth bring the chair down hard on her master's head. Astrid dropped down to all fours, where she hacked and coughed, her body lurching and spasming with every gasp that rang through her body. Even after she'd narrowly escaped from the mandible claw, her throat still felt like it was on fire, and her whole body felt stiff. Even still, she was in no mood to let that slow her down - she quickly shook herself, looking back up at Sarabeth as her chest heaved in and out with every desperate breath. It had been thanks to Sarabeth that Astrid had been spared a worse fate...but there was more fear in her eyes than relief, and a moment later she went stiff again. When she looked up, she could see that Sarabeth was heading right into the Selection's embrace - and the very thought that she was so close to them was enough to send a chill down the Norsewoman's spine.

"Sarabeth-! Wait, it's too dangerous..!" she called out, trying to get the Young Lioness's attention. But the other disciples were already moving into place. Miza went to swerve behind Sarabeth, reaching to grab her by the arms and pull them back to bring her into a Nelson hold in order to immobilize her. "Whoops! I think someone's getting a liiiiittle too ahead of herself!~" she chirped.

"You bet she is." Roxanne came storming closer, leaning down to stare Sarabeth right in the eye. "Get lost! This isn't your fight, girl. If you want to get involved..." Her teeth tightened into a snarl. "We're gonna make you regret it..."

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth gritted her teeth knocking down Lyra with the chair and even tried going for Cecilia next, but Miza caught her arms making her drop the chair as she struggled to fight out. Roxanne came forward and cracked her knuckles warning Sarabeth to stay out of this or else she would get hurt. Fat chance Sarabeth would utter in her mind. Astrid was her family now and she was going to go down with the ship it seemed. Sarabeth tried using both feet to kick at Roxanne, but Miza was surprisingly strong and had a good enough grip on the Lioness’s arms.

[CaptainL]

With righteous indignation Sarabeth had charged the ring, looking to get in between Astrid and the Selection and come to her stepmother's aid. But righteous indignation could only take her so far - and the Selection was determined to assert their power over LAW, no matter who or what saw fit to get in their way. Like predators lying in wait to strike they moved into place, grabbing her and holding her back - Miza's grasp on her arms pulled tighter, yanking her back against the redhead's chest. But she was still determined to fight back one way or another, and her legs swung upward with a kick aimed right at Roxanne - a kick that hit its mark, sending her stumbling back.

"Gaah-!!" Roxanne's head snapped to the side as she sputtered and gasped, the impact knocking the air out of her lungs and forcing her to double over forward. But moments later, she sucked in a breath, straightening her back as she locked her eyes onto Sarabeth with a piercing glare and wiped her mouth. "You'll regret that..." she hissed, just before she reached out with her fingers extended and latched onto Sarabeth's head, digging her nails down into her temples to apply an iron claw!

In the middle of all of this, of course, was Astrid herself. She was sore and aching, but she could see everything that was happening to Sarabeth - to her stepdaughter. She could feel a shudder running down her spine, and the tightening of her stomach with the nervous energy that rose in her. She could only imagine the pain Sarabeth was in - and the threat the Selection posed to her if she continued to attract their ire was even worse. No matter how much she ached from what Lyra had done to her, the fear of what lay in store for her daughter was far worse. She couldn't stand by and let this happen. She knew what she had to do.

"Enough-!!" At that point, Astrid shoved herself to her feet. She winced and grabbed at her head, aching from the change in altitude, but still she called out to the Selection. "Enough! I've already agreed to your terms! Just...let her go!"

[Pegasus]

Sarabeth knew this was going to be a losing battle the moment she grabbed the chair backstage and headed out for the save, but she was willing to put it all on the line. Sarabeth got grabbed in the face by Roxanne screaming as the sharp nails dug into the bare skin of the Young Lioness and the young rebel couldn’t stand it for long. Even a streak of blood started opening across her left cheek. Astrid made her pleas to let go of her daughter as Lyra was satisfied enough with the answer rubbing her head after the chair shot.

“That’s enough, Roxanne. If this mongrel wants to play our game, I think we save the real punishment for the real event. Let this be a lesson, child. Never trifle with higher powers you couldn’t begin to comprehend,” Lyra warned as she grabbed the chin of Sarabeth before ordering Roxanne to send Sarabeth into Astrid.

Sarabeth grunted falling on the floor and into her mother’s lap groaning as she held her cheek. She looked up shamefully at her stepmother as she buried her head into Astrid’s stomach.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I just wanted to stop them from hurting you,” Sarabeth whimpered.

[CaptainL]

Even if Sarabeth had managed to land a blow against Lyra, it barely even seemed to faze her - nor was it going to slow down the Selection as a whole, who were confident they had Astrid overpowered and outnumbered with ease. Sarabeth might've thought she was turning the tides, but in the eyes of the Selection, she was little more than a petulant child thinking she stood a chance against the might of their dark master. But then, that could only work in their benefit. Sarabeth had fallen right into the palm of their hand, giving them the perfect opportunity to demonstrate the horrors they could inflict on Astrid - right before her eyes. And when Roxanne's fingers dug into Sarabeth's face with the iron claw, it was Astrid who had to watch in horror, the color draining away from her face. It hit her, then, just how much danger the Selection posed, and the lengths they were willing to go to assert their dominance. For a moment, Astrid thought to herself about how these were the foes she was going up against. These were the people she was putting herself in the line of fire of. But if they were going to drag her family into this, she had no other options. Astrid needed to stand up for what was right, and she had to stand up for Sarabeth.

Roxanne snorted under her breath as Lyra issued her command, but she followed her orders unquestioningly. With one final shove, she pushed Lyra back as hard as she could, knocking her into her stepmother. As if out of reflex, Astrid's arms shot out and encircled Sarabeth to pull her closer to her chest. Her fingers brushed away the traces of blood that trickled from her forehead, her breaths quickening as her shoulders trembled with rage. But she sucked in a breath, looking back up at the Selection. She wouldn't let them threaten her like this.

"You've gotten what you want," she asserted. "I've already agreed to your match. Just leave my family out of this, whatever you do!"

Roxanne shrugged her shoulders, but clapped her hands, bidding the Jackals back to her sides. "Mmf...whatever you say. But it won't make any difference, in the end." Then, she looked back at Lyra. "I think we're done here."

That left Astrid cradling Sarabeth in her arms, pulling the Young Lioness closer. Her arms tightened around her protectively, as though she was afraid to let her go - she couldn't let her out into a world of danger like this. Every once in a while she glanced up and down, checking the Selection, then Sarabeth, to make sure things were safe. But her voice was soft and calm as she listened to every word her daughter said. "It's okay, Sarabeth...you did the right thing. But...this is my fight. And it's one I can't let you get tangled up in. I'm sorry."

[Pegasus]

THE END