Lyra Heartfield vs Astrid Ostberg - Falls Count Anywhere Match

[Pegasus]

Lyra had to sneak in some giggles to laugh at Astrid’s blank expression when the fan called her out. It was all going according to their plan. Whether this ended with Lyra suffering or managing to upset the Norwegian further with another huge loss, Astrid’s anger was rising to the halfway mark. She mainly channeled that anger to battle Lyra and Lyra didn’t have Roxanne anymore to run interference for her. Nor stop Astrid from barreling into her chest with a forearm that rivaled a battering ram! Lyra grunted having her chair flip backwards as she went sliding across the unforgiving floor. She panted and rolled up near the back wall of the first story as she was a sitting duck!

[CaptainL]

Astrid winced at the thought that she was actually letting this get to her - that the heckling from the fans had made her lose her cool. If the Selection was trying to get under her skin and sew the seeds of doubt in herself, falling to their psychological tactics was tantamount to letting them win. It might not have bruised her body, but it had an even greater impact on her pride, one that left her hissing through her teeth at the thought of it. She had set out to prove the Selection wrong - they couldn't win now!

But a moment later, as she pushed herself to her feet, she shook herself out, and her eyes locked onto Lyra with nothing but rage. Her footsteps falling against the floor with a thud, she stormed her way toward the fallen blonde. She wasn't going to let Lyra win this. She needed to prove she was stronger than that - and it was about time Lyra got to see what she was really capable of!

Even when the fortune teller was trying to get away, Astrid was going to show her no mercy. The glare on her face didn't fade for even a moment as she reached out, going to grab Lyra by the collar and pull her forward into her grasp. If all went according to plan, she would hurl Lyra backward over her shoulder to drive her into the floor with a suplex - and if that worked, she would follow that up with another, tossing her around like a rag doll to bludgeon her against the floor! This level of aggression was unlike Astrid. Right now, it seemed, she didn't care about winning the match - she just wanted to hurt Lyra!

[Pegasus]

Lyra felt her head as her back was also aching taking a rough tumble on the floor. She yelped as Astrid yanked her up by her shirt as the Norsewoman gave her a hard Suplex on the concrete floor! Lyra yelled in pain, but it was followed by a fit of malicious laughter. This was almost being treated as a game by Lyra and she wasn’t too fazed by Astrid getting her up. She got bashed into the floor and Astrid picked her up just to slam her again and then again and then again repeating the cycle. The referee was conflicted on getting involved, because there were no rules against this, but she didn’t want Lyra to get seriously injured. Then again, the referee could also meet a similar fate to what Astrid was doing now to Lyra.

But regardless of no rules and risks, the referee at least needed Astrid to be controlled instead of unstable. At least to ensure a safe contest. The referee started ushering Astrid back by the shoulders turning her around.

“Astrid, this is no rules, but intentional injury is where I’m drawing the line. Calm down right now!”

[CaptainL]

When Astrid slung Lyra over her shoulder, aiming her head straight for the unforgiving concrete, she had only one thing on her mind - and that was teaching the fortune teller in no uncertain terms that she wasn't going to play her games any more. If Lyra thought she could get in her head and make her doubt herself, then Astrid had to answer that with enough sheer brute force to ensure she'd shut her mouth! Needless to say, then, when Lyra erupted in laughter, it only made Astrid's teeth clench as her muscles trembled and the hairs rose on the back of her neck. She needed to send a message, and if she wasn't getting that across, she wasn't doing what she had set out for. If Lyra was laughing at her, that just meant she needed to hit Lyra harder, until she finally shut up - and that fueled her just as much as her anger did, as she tossed her opponent this way and that, as though she was out to bludgeon her into a pulp!

It wasn't anything Lyra would do that would finally get Astrid to stop, though. It was the word of the referee, who spoke up then and there to command Astrid to let her go - and even when the Norsewoman had been consumed with vengeful fury, what she heard now was perfectly clear, piercing straight through to her soul. At once, Astrid froze.

"Intentional...injury..?"

Her eyes went wide in shock, and her grasp on Lyra went slack, as she stared through the official. There it was again. She was losing her cool. She was losing sight of the values she believed in; that she had always sworn to uphold! If she gave into that darkness, and that aggression...what was there that separated her from all the ruthless rulebreakers she had stood against? What made her any different from Cyber Widow? No - what made her any different from the agents of the Selection themselves?

"Nngh..!!" Astrid heard the fans call out to her, at the same time, warning her to keep her eyes on her opponent - that Lyra was surely planning a counterattack, and that she had to be ready for it. And yet...what could she do? Did she really deserve to be standing up to the Selection, the way she'd pledged to, if she was going to stoop to their level? Her teeth clenched in a grimace, she grabbed at her temples and doubled over at the waist. There were too many conflicting drives and emotions all hitting her at once, and she was left paralyzed by it all! She knew that was no state to be in in a match like this - and yet she couldn't help it!

[Pegasus]

The referee’s warning seemed to do the trick, but Astrid was motionless just standing there without a movement in her steps. Everything she held dear. Her pride. Wrestling. Her sportsmanship. Her skills. Her prestigious family and history. All of it was being questioned, because she lost her temper. Astrid always valued respect and authenticity in the ring, but she felt like she was losing her edge. All according to plan. Lyra snickered to herself wincing a little as the pain settled in after being thrown around like a rag doll. She laughed like a hyena which disturbed the crowd, but a muffled cough followed after every hoarse chuckle.

“You’re going to have to accept it sooner or later, Astrid. You’re a monster. You can lose control like the rest of us. Why do you think your title reign was as long as it was? Because you had evolved. Thereisa challenged every fiber of your heritage and your dedication to this sport. You brought every doubt to the surface and crushed them. You were suppose to lose to Thereisa. Face it, Astrid. Every defense was meant to be your last. However, your inner darkness protected your reign. It was never you to begin with….and that’s why you are greedy! That’s why you hate the Golden Dragon! Hate Clara! Because they took your chance to prove you could do it on your own without the darkness, but you are no more than a failure. It’s alright, though. We all have to hit the bottom before we climb back up. We can help you. Just surrender the match and we can begin to heal those wounds,” Lyra explained as she limped over to Astrid.

[CaptainL]

Even when Astrid had just a moment ago been hammering Lyra back and forth against the floor, now, the fortune teller didn't seem like anything had even fazed her. Even if she lay crumpled in a heap, with energy that by all accounts she shouldn't have had, she started laughing - mocking Astrid. Telling her, in a way only she could, that no matter how hard the Norsewoman had fought, even the greatest heights of her effort, tempered by rage and determination, wasn't enough to keep her down - or the Selection down. Astrid could feel the tension grasping her even tighter - her body had gone stiff; the veins in her neck bulged under the strain she'd taken upon herself. Astrid had set out to crush the Selection, and to show them their ways wouldn't prosper. And yet...she couldn't do it. That Lyra was even talking back was a reminder of that.

But as bad as the fact that Lyra was talking back was, even worse was what she said. Astrid had always held herself to stand in opposition to the Selection and their ilk. She had always championed the virtue in achieving success by one's own merits, and in having a sense of sportsmanship and respect for one's fellow athletes. She thought the successes she'd achieved stood as proof that one could boast of greatness in the ring without having malice in their heart. But according to Lyra...that wasn't true. As she saw it, Astrid owed her success not to her belief in fair play, but to the same aggression and inner darkness that drove the members of the Selection themselves. That without it, she was nothing. The mere thought about it was enough to make the bile rise in Astrid's throat, and a shudder ran through her whole body. And yet...she almost wanted to believe it. She'd seen herself that, ever since she'd lost her title, her career had took a downturn, and she never seemed like she was quite able to recapture her past glories. Was...that why?

No. No, it couldn't be - that Astrid was even entertaining that thought seemed like a betrayal of all her principles! Lyra was just trying to get in her head again and throw her off, just like she always had! The Norsewoman clutched at her scalp, yanking at her own hair by the roots to try and give her something - anything - to distract her from the torment in her head. "I'm NOT like you-!!" she bellowed, but her voice had gone hoarse and shrill in desperation. "I never have been, and I never will be! I'm stronger than your darkness, and I won't give in! I don't need it to win - I just need the determination to prove YOU WRONG!!"

With a few heavy footfalls, Astrid took one step closer and then another, closing in on where Lyra had fallen. Then, she scooped her up from the ground, her arms looping around her sides to squeeze as hard as she could with a bear hug! "No matter what you say to me...I'm still beating you! I'll still prove it!!"

But the look on Astrid's face wasn't the proud one of satisfaction and confidence. Her face was flushed a deep red, and the veins in her forehead bulged as she stared into Lyra's eyes with an almost demonic scowl. She began to shake her from side to side, desperate to wring the life out of her. By now, she couldn't even consider the thought that Lyra might be right. There was no time to. There was only room in her heart for rage!

[Pegasus]

Lyra giggled and groaned a little getting tossed up into Astrid’s devastating Bearhug! This move was known to put many down in the heyday of Astrid’s career and even her father’s, her uncle’s, and her grandfather’s careers. A finisher that transcended time and proved useful to Astrid on the indies. This could be a short match as Lyra groaned and puffed her cheeks as the Bearhug was testing her back strength and tolerance. She didn’t have the immunity to pain her master did and as much as she shrugged off, she was still vulnerable to tapping out if needed. Only one thing could save her now!

“A-Any day now, Cecilia! Get out here!” Lyra yelled for her fellow Selection member as her sight turned towards the backstage area curtain.

[CaptainL]

As soon as Astrid's arms had locked into place around Lyra, the Norsewoman lifted her chin to the ceiling with a confident huff - now, she knew she was going to turn things around. Her grip strength was legendary, and she had used the bear hug to bring low fellow heavyweights - a woman like Lyra, who she easily dwarfed in size, should've been popped like a grape! Her teeth clenched in defiance as she brought forth all the force she could bring to bear, pressing down around her opponent. She couldn't stop now, and she couldn't hold back. Now she had Lyra right where she wanted her. She just had to go in for the kill, and follow through on why she was here!

But even still, Astrid knew that Lyra had to have some tricks up her sleeve. From what she'd seen of the Selection, she knew things couldn't be that easy. When the fortune teller began to speak up, she began to turn toward the entrance ramp, still carrying Lyra in arms. Whatever came through the curtains, she was sure she was ready to meet it - and she'd prove Lyra wrong! She shook her head, shooting Lyra a glare that told her how little she approved of her tricks. "Oh no, you don't! I'm not falling for that this time. I'm ahead of you!"

But Astrid's defiance wouldn't save her. Just a moment later, in fact, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her. "Well, then, I guess that makes two of us..."

Astrid froze in her tracks. A rush of cold ran through her from head to toe. When she looked back over her shoulder, her suspicions were confirmed. There was Cecilia Lombard, standing right behind her! How did this happen, she thought? The last she'd seen, she hadn't been anywhere near her. Yet now she was practically breathing down her neck, without making a sound. Did she really let down her guard so much that she didn't notice? Or...were other things afoot?

Either way, it wouldn't save Astrid. She had hesitated for just a moment, and that was all Cecilia needed. Just then, the dark-haired girl raked her nails across Astrid's eyes - and the Norwegian roared in pain, doubling over as her eyes watered over! She let go of Lyra, letting her fall as she grabbed for her face to try and rub away the stinging sensation. She knew it meant letting Lyra go free...but she had to tend to herself, now!

[Pegasus]

Lyra was let go as she screamed and grabbed her back as her body hurt from practically being squeezed to death. She got up and kicked Astrid in the face hard for that little stunt! Lyra then walked up to Cecilia and stood by her as she coughed a little before snickering.

“Good work. That was beginning to become a little uncomfortable. Now, bring me a chair from the crowd. I have some revenge to collect,” Lyra ordered.

Lyra would get her chair before grabbing it by the legs and glaring at Astrid. She raised as high as it would go and bring it down hard on the Norsewoman’s back! She repeated this cycle three times and even handed it to Cecilia in order to have her turn. These two diabolical ladies were just having their way against Astrid and there was nothing no one could do as Astrid was at their mercy with possibly a grave injury on the horizon.

[CaptainL]

If Astrid was left to her own devices, she could well have stopped Lyra then and there. As her arms wrapped tightly into place around the fortune teller, many of the fans started cheering her louder, clapping and stomping their feet against the bleachers to urge her to keep pushing her limits - to finish off Lyra for her treachery! But just as many fans were silent. They knew what the Selection was capable of. They already knew that Lyra wasn't alone. They knew better than to get their hopes up just yet, when anything could be around the corner - and they didn't want to attract any unwelcome attention from the Selection themselves, either. No one knew the limits of the dark powers they commanded, but none of them were willing to find out.

And sure enough, their concerns would prove well warranted, when Cecilia came charging into the fray, sending Astrid reeling with an eye rake from behind! Already, the Norsewoman had been sent doubling over in pain as she clutched at her face, and she was forced to let Lyra go. But as long as she was reeling from the pain, she was at the mercy of the Selection - and sure enough, the Selection had far more in store for her.

First, Lyra drove her boot into Astrid's face, causing the heavyweight to cry out in shock. Her balance gave way, and she fell face-first against the mat, her knees folded beneath her and her hips raised in the air. She knew she needed to get back up, to do something - but as long as the Selection had her cornered, there was nothing she could do. She was still waiting for the pain to subside, and they wouldn't give her that opportunity. And things could only get worse when Cecilia dutifully picked up a chair from ringside, tossing it to Lyra. "As you wish," she said with a curt nod - and then, she sat back to watch as Lyra carried out her dirty work.

Every time the chair came down on Astrid, the sound of a loud clang filled the air, and the Norsewoman fell back against the mat, gasping and panting. She tried to push herself back up, but she never made it far before the next chair shot sent her crashing back down! With every blow that landed, her screams grew louder until her voice went hoarse, and the world around her fell into a spinning blur. Every shot sent a shockwave of pain through her system, and she had no time to adjust to one before the next came - not until she grew numb from the repeated assault!

By the time Lyra was done with the chair, Astrid was already lying there, limp and groaning. When Cecilia slammed the chair into her back again and again, she did little more than moan under her breath, her hips only bucking stiffly and half-heartedly off the momentum. Astrid's fortunes had completely turned around - all thanks to the Selection's treachery! And no matter how loudly the fans booed them, they showed no signs of stopping. They weren't out to beat Astrid, it seemed. They were out to break her.

...But then...Astrid wouldn't let herself be broken! As she sucked in a deep breath, her teeth clenched into a grimace, and her fingers dug into the canvas to hold herself steady. She couldn't lose faith in herself now. Her opponents were determined to call into question everything she held true about herself; to make her look weak and helpless in front of the world - it was all the more important, then, that she fight back even harder to prevent that from happening! If that was the motivation she needed...she'd take it!

With a hiss under her breath, Astrid put all the force she could into her hands and knees, trying to push herself up from the mat to try and get back up, and hopefully force Lyra and Cecilia back in the process! The only thing she had going for her was sheer will - but she'd take it!