Astrid Ostberg vs. Kathleen Hendricks - Rushing Tides

[TickTock]

As much as Astrid's thoughts and regrets were her own, it didn't mean that Kathleen couldn't feel the same satisfaction from them regardless. Her head was aching after the barrage the heavyweight laid on her, but it obviously could've been far worse if she didn't get her arms up in time to save herself from further abuse. And while pain ran through her skull and her arms, it wasn't a new sensation for the Queen, and even if the pain was racking, that didn't matter. Not when she saw her opponent in such a vulnerable position; she was staring off into nothing, contemplating her own break of composure and what it would've meant if she had lost herself. And while the answer to that would've very likely meant Kathleen's downfall, the Queen pushed that aside, intended on making the Norsewoman's lapse in attention her own downfall!

First, Kathleen thrust her body down and forward, to slam against the back of one of Astrid's knees, to take it out from under her and make the size difference less notable. Of course, the blonde was a lot wider than the middleweight still, but at least it made attacking her weak-points easier, such as her head! Astrid could have as thick of a skull she wanted - repeated blows to the head were always dangerous, especially when the bare knee of Kathleen was the tool used to mash against the face of the Norsewoman's! Of course, grabbing onto the head and hair of Astrid's earned the Queen a warning from the referee, but unlike the former champion, Kathleen did not care for the zebra's caution! Those rapid-fire knee strikes wouldn't stop until the giant fell, or until the referee physically pulled her off. And while there began a count, Kathleen paid it little mind, and continued blasting her knee up to strike the head of the blonde's!

However, even as Astrid began to weaken, as her body slumping told the tale, it seemed that even the Queen's strongest strikes were not enough to fall the beast! Eventually, hands pushed against the body of Kathleen's and shoved her back, breaking up the combo of knees. Such fortitude spoke to Astrid's durability, and how much it'd take to beat her, that even after taking that many unprotected shots to her face, she was still upright and fighting back. Rose Gold managed to just choke her out after repeated nefarious tactics, and Astrid Sandra-Hanes managed to capitalize on her after a long, drawn-out war between three heavyweights of immense power.

Kathleen, while she wasn't opposed to the cheating of the former, wanted to beat her opponent by her own merits - at least to start - and she couldn't hope to match the strength of the two heavyweights who resulted in the loss of Astrid's title. So, what gameplan would the Queen go for? The mind games were already apparent, but unless Astrid planned on shriveling up into a ball over mean words, it wouldn't do good to get her down. And if that flurry of knee strikes were to show anything, it was that taking on this woman head-on like that wasn't going to be fruitful in the youth of this contest. Power vs. power, Astrid wins that battle every time. Which meant that she had to go for something less... head-on.

And so, as Kathleen was shoved back, she made the conscious effort to use such momentum to go bouncing off the ropes and headed right back towards Astrid. Typically in this position, the black-haired heel would've gone for another strike. A boot, or another knee. But instead of trying to crack over the Norsewoman's head once more, she focused in on a different target. Once she was back within range, Kathleen's hands reached forward to seize the right arm of Astrid's held out after that shove - and if successful, spinning it over her head, and then slamming it down against the mat for a running Arm Wrench! Using the speed off that push to try and add more velocity to the move and hopefully making it all the more painful!

Spoiler

[CaptainL]

Astrid had only let her guard down for a few short seconds, but those were enough for Kathleen to see her chances - and to strike. The next thing the Norsewoman knew, her opponent had her by the hair, pulling her face straight into the path of a barrage of several hard-hitting knee strikes! Each blow that landed sent a ripple through her body, her knees buckling and her hips jostled up into the air as she reeled from the pain. Before long, her face had begun to grow numb, her nerves deadened. But for as much as she was sinking into a daze, Astrid knew that the last thing she could allow to happen was to let Kathleen win - to let her walk away with the vindication that she had brought the mighty Astrid to her knees. She clenched her teeth into a defiant grimace as she glared back up at her middleweight foe - no matter how much it hurt, the will to fight back was stronger!

That proved enough to spur Astrid to action - as she shoved back at Kathleen, forcing the raven-haired woman away from her. At last, with her assault broken, she panted for breath, doubled over at the waist as sweat dripped from her skin and her chest heaved. As an ache ran through her sides, Astrid let out a groan. She had already taken more damage at Kathleen's hands than she was comfortable with - but if she had any say in the matter, now she was going to turn things around. Her muscles stiffened as she tried to push herself back upright, no matter how much her body creaked and groaned as she did so. She had to keep fighting!

But as long as she was slowed down, Astrid was still open for Kathleen to strike - and strike she did. Before Astrid had the chance to draw her arms back to safety, Kathleen grabbed for one of them, pulling it up and over her head - and slamming her down into the mat! Astrid barely had enough time to gasp as she was being dragged backward into an arc before the blow landed, and when it did, she cried out in pain, her legs kicking into the air. She rolled onto her side, clutching at her shoulder as her eyes were squeezed shut through the shock. She kicked around blindly, striking at the air and trying to vent the pain, but she continued to roll over on her side and tumble across the mat in an attempt to get as far away from Kathleen as she could. It was the least she could do to at least buy herself some time to recover.

[TickTock]

Kathleen couldn't deny the splitting headache she was currently feeling in her head after those knee strikes, yet she could only hope that Astrid felt that very same pain and a lot, lot more, as her barrage landed clean, and the fruit of her labor was shown with the way that the blonde slackened. Yet, it wasn't enough to fall her, as that shove came soon after the barrage began, and despite the visible effects it had on the former champion, it was clear that she refused to go down like that. Which was why Kathleen had to find another way to bring the beast down. Using the daze of the woman to her advantage, as well as the momentum from that push, the Queen rushed back in, taking one of the limbs of Astrid's, and spun and slammed it against the mat! A move that not just brought her down, but also left the larger woman kicking and crying in pain.

And it was the exact place that Kathleen wanted her opponent. Stood up, Astrid held the clear advantage with her strength and size. But such things mattered little on the mat, where technical ability and maneuverability mattered much more, and that was an area the Queen was confident she held the edge, especially when she was the one on top. On her feet now, she was able to stare down at Astrid, who was writhing on the mat in pain, and attempting to get away. Yet Kathleen refused to allow that, reaching down to try and seize that right arm once more and lift it up, depriving the heavyweight of holding it against herself. The pain written all over her face and body language might as well have caused a large target to be painted over that limb, and now Kathleen was aiming to wreck it however she could!

If she did manage to seize that arm, Kathleen made sure to try and neutralize the struggles of Astrid further, using her boot to stomp down over the head and face of the blonde's three times, each time as though trying to stomp her head down through the mat! And after that, the Queen moved back onto that arm, pushing her knee up against it, before thrusting down to slam that arm down, with her knee drilling it against the mat! And if those two actions were a success, Kathleen spread her hands out, one pinned against the shoulder of Astrid's and the other against the wrist, to make sure that arm was glued to that mat and vulnerable. With her sight set on breaking this woman down, both physically and mentally, she offered a sadistic glare towards her opponent, before beginning to drill her knee down against that arm repeatedly! Bashing it over and over again, up to either what Astrid would allow or to five, to maximize the damage done.

This was right where Kathleen wanted to be, and she wasn't planning on leaving this position until Astrid was a whimpering mess before her!

[CaptainL]

Indeed, this match was having its effects on Astrid. The Norsewoman could feel the wear and tear, and the aches and pains, of every strike and every fall she'd taken and every bit of effort and strain she had forced herself through. She had to concede that as underhanded as Kathleen was, as cruel as she must have been to go after Astrid in her darkest moment, she knew how to hit hard - Astrid was feeling every bit of that. She was an opponent she had to take seriously; she knew that for as tough the fight ahead of her was, she had no choice - she had to succeed, or her good name as a wrestler and her own self-respect would bear the burden. But things for Astrid were about to get a lot worse.

Now, Kathleen had brought Astrid to the mat, forcing her to land on her arm. The impact sent a wave of pain up the blonde's nerves, leaving her gnashing her teeth and shuddering from the impact. Now that Kathleen had Astrid down, and now that she was too consumed by her own agony to resist, the Queen had her in the perfect position to exert her will through trapping her in a hold, or forcing her to submit to her will. But Kathleen had other things in mind.

As Kathleen wrenched backward on Astrid's arm, she winced as she felt the joints, muscles, and tendons stretch under the tension, hissing under her breath as her face contorted in a scowl. But Kathleen was only getting started. If that wasn't bad enough, it gave her the perfect position from which to rain down stomps on Astrid's face! Each blow left her reeling, her face growing numb and her ears ringing. Each knocked her head this way and that. By the time Kathleen was finished, Astrid could only moan in pain under her breath - but her screams soon picked up again when the raven-haired girl pounded down on her already aching arm! Astrid arched her back off the canvas, throwing her head back and bellowing like a wild animal. The crowd began to boo Kathleen's ruthless assault - but she showed no signs of slowing down!

Through the pain, however, Astrid huffed and shuddered. She looked back at her opponent, and her teeth clenched in a snarl, while the furrows of her brow deepened. No matter what Kathleen was doing, no matter how much it hurt...Astrid simply couldn't lay down and take it any longer. She was better than this; she had been a champion! There seemed like no greater threat to her status and her self-image to be crumbling beneath such an assault. Even if one of her arms was screaming out in pain...Astrid still had one other, and it was that one she'd have to use!

Gritting her teeth to power through the pain, Astrid used every fiber of effort in her body to bridge her back, and to push her way back up to close in on her foe. There, she balled a fist with her good arm, and went to slam it into Kathleen's side! No matter how much it hurt...she had to pay Kathleen back, just to prove she could!

[TickTock]

Kathleen planned on exerting her will well enough throughout this match, especially now that her target had been identified and scoped on. The right arm was typically one's dominant arm, used for writing, throwing, lifting, or in the case of wrestling, punching. And while the Queen was unaware of what Astrid's dominant hand was, be it her right, left, or being ambidextrous, picking out and weakening what typically was the dominant arm seemed to be her strategy. And right now, her means of picking it apart was by force, instead of anything technical as of now. To make that limb scream under the force of Kathleen's, before it's twisted and bent into all sorts of unnatural positions.

And she did so by first targeting the head of Astrid's once more, with those hard stomps. Kathleen was far more comfortable in this position, and knew that even if those strikes to the head weren't going to knock the blonde unconscious, they'd pacify her enough in this downed state to allow her to move onto her next point of attack: those being the knees to the arm. Smashing against the bicep, the inner elbow, and the forearm of that trapped limb, wanting every part of it to swell and scream in agony. Yet that wasn't the only thing screaming, as Astrid's own cries of pain echoed throughout the arena, a downed wildebeest screaming as the lion tore into it!

Yet, Astrid wasn't just a mere quadruped, useless the second she was left lying. The other arm was still available, and she made sure Kathleen was aware of that fact, as after the strong amount of knees landing right on target, the former champion threw a strike of her own. And, desperate or not, it landed right on target, nailing Kathleen right on the side, bashing the underside of her ribs, and causing a cry to escape from the lips of the Queen! Immediately, it halted her attack, causing her to slump down onto her knees, and relinquish part of her control over that arm to cup the struck area.

Despite the obvious pain that she was feeling, her mouth open in hard pants and her body slumped, Kathleen hand was still cupping the wrist of Astrid's tight. Assuring that if she wasn't about to let her opponent escape from her grip just yet, as her fingers dug in as restrictively as they could. That was the target she had outlined, the one in which attacking was her goal so far, and if Astrid wanted to get her to release her hold, she was going to have to try more than just one punch.

[CaptainL]

For all the brutality she was showing, Kathleen was no mindless maniac. No, there was a method to her cruelty, and it was that fact that made her that much more dangerous. When she was going after Astrid's arm, she was methodically trying to weaken the Norwegian's defenses, ensuring that any attempt she made to fight back would be hindered - and in turn, that every blow that she struck against Astrid afterward would be that much more painful when it landed. Every time Kathleen struck, it hurt worse than the last. And each time Astrid felt that lingering pain, that dull throbbing sensation left in her muscles, she knew that it would be that much harder to put up the resistance she was so desperate to. Even throwing her next counter-attack was going to hurt, Astrid knew. But she had to do it. If she let Kathleen continue to have her way with her, she soon would be too weak to resist. And that was a fate she couldn't abide by!

With her elbow smashing into Kathleen's side, Astrid felt the way her body sank inward against the blow, and how she went toppling over to the mat. At last, the relentless assault had been broken. Astrid caught her breath, panting for air and shaking herself out. But she knew, all the same, that this didn't mean she could breathe easy - not just yet. Kathleen was still fully capable of unleashing her depravities on her. She still had her caught by the wrist. And, no doubt, she was perfectly willing to make use of that fact!

With Kathleen's nails digging into her skin, Astrid's teeth clenched in a grimace, and her body shuddered. But she wouldn't let it stop her. She wouldn't even scream - she knew that to do so would be to tell Kathleen that she really had been successful in inflicting damage, and in shattering her composure. Instead, she was going to fight back! Astrid, too, had a free arm, and with that arm, she moved to grab onto Kathleen's bicep, evening out the struggle between them. From there, she would pull back to try and steer the brunette toward her and off her center of balance, while at the same time, she would try to get her feet underneath her to hoist herself up. She had spent too long crouched low and vulnerable; now was the time for her to look Kathleen in the eye, and to tell her she wouldn't be intimidated! And if she could get Kathleen up, she would pull her in and throw back her hip, trying to use the momentum to bowl her into the mat with a hip toss!

[TickTock]

Each moment of the match, no matter if it was advantageous or not, reminded Kathleen of the level of beast Astrid was. With those knees brutally slamming down onto that arm, most would wail in pain, kick the mat, and be left at the mercy of their attacker. Yet the power and durability of the former champion refused to allow such a thing to happen, as soon, Kathleen's side felt that hard shot, which halted her attack and caused the Queen to falter. Laying on her knees, side screeching, yet her persistence to destroy that limb was shown in the way her hand clutched onto that wrist. Nails digging like daggers against the fabric of Astrid's armband with enough obsessive power that she was sure the blonde could feel them digging against her skin. It prevented a retreat, but it also meant that Astrid needed to strike to get out of this.

And strike she did, as just as Kathleen was about to recover from the blow, a strong hand gripped her bicep. And the idea of the Queen resisting Astrid's pull was ludicrous, leading her body to be tight against the larger woman's. Her yanks were just as useless as her resistance to the tug, and as soon as the woman reached her feet, the Queen was at the mercy of her stronger foe. And for a moment afterwards, at mercy to gravity, as the force of those hips slamming against her along with the pull of Astrid's arm made her tumble right over, slamming down against the mat with a cry.

Kathleen's advantage was short-lived, but that didn't mean she would lay there in defeat and allow further destruction come her way. Her lighter frame meant that the toss gave her a good bit of momentum through the air. Of course, making it more painful, but also allowing her body to bounce forward, and such trajectory led Kathleen right to the ropes, in which her tumble towards became purposeful, hands and legs pushing her towards them. And upon her less than ideal arrival, she quickly rolled out underneath them, reaching the outside of the ring, and ungracefully stumbling over to the barricade, of which she fell to a knee laying against. It was a risk coming to the outside, where potential for destruction was far more than inside the ring. And defeat could also come, as the referee sounded out the first count. But Kathleen wasn't stupid. She just needed a few moments to rest, and let the pain subside.

Now, if Astrid would allow such a thing was yet to be seen - yet there was a part of Kathleen that was hoping for the heavyweight's typical benevolence towards the rules.

[CaptainL]

Oh, Astrid hurt, all right. The punishment Kathleen had dished out on her arm had been enough to leave her muscles burning, all but splintering the bone with every impact of her knees. When she had dug her nails deep into her wrist, it felt like needles were stabbing into her skin, sending a shock along her nerves. But there was one thing Astrid knew - she couldn't show any weakness. No matter how much it hurt, or how much she had to endure, the Norsewoman knew that if she let that pain show through, she had already lost. She was here to take back her good name, and to show to the world that she was still one of LAW's top competitors, no matter what her detractors - in the ring and out - might have claimed. Among the qualities Astrid had defined herself by was her endurance. And she couldn't let that down now! No matter how much she had to bear through the pain, no matter how much her teeth clenched and her veins bulged against the rising pressure, Astrid was fighting with everything she had to last it out. Just as she was fighting with everything she had to break free - as she first hurled her elbow back against Kathleen's ribs, and then yanked her downward and over her hip to bowl her to the mat!

Now, Kathleen was doubling back across the ring, into the ropes. When the Norsewoman saw Kathleen reach up and grab the ropes, she flinched for just a moment - her muscles tensed; she sank down at the knee, ready to take off. She was sure Kathleen was on her way up, and as soon as she rose, Astrid would be right behind her, charging in at full speed with her arm drawn back to nail her with a lariat! She had already taken a few steps to close in on her foe - but she froze in her tracks a moment later, when it seemed she had jumped the gun. Kathleen wasn't getting back up at all. Instead, she slipped out of the ring, onto the floor, and out to the barricades beyond. Astrid's impulses had gotten the better of her.

With the ref starting the count - "One! Two!" - Astrid took this time to catch her breath. She sank a little lower at the knees, and she grabbed at her bicep, wincing as she felt another sting of pain ripple along it. But she looked back up, fixing her eyes on Kathleen, where they narrowed into a glare. "Of course that's where you'd go," Astrid snapped back. "Hiding on the outside of the ring, like a coward? You really want to make your point, get back in here and meet me face to face!"

At the same time, Astrid was on her guard. Her eyes locked onto Kathleen, watching every move she made. She had many storied battles against underhanded rulebreakers who used every trick at their disposal to gain the edge, including attacking Astrid on the psychological battleground, and she had no doubts Kathleen would try similar tactics when the area outside the ring gave her the opportunity to. Her eye twitched nervously, but it wouldn't leave Kathleen even for a minute...

[TickTock]

As much of a hit to the ego it was to be forced into a retreat, Kathleen was sound enough of mind to not let such feelings affect her strategy. To stay in the ring when she was rung and allow a heavyweight like Astrid to treat her like a ragdoll was idiotic, and the sight of Astrid charging forward, ready to take her head off with a lariat, only reaffirmed such thoughts. Those of lower intellect would've allowed Astrid to have her way with them, out of "fighting spirit" or some nonsense, but not the Queen. Of course, there was risk that Astrid could follow her right out, and Kathleen would have to adapt her gameplan to that, but as she leaned against the barricade and the referee began her count, words were flung her way, calling her a coward and urging her to get back into the ring.

Kathleen ignored such barbs. To her, escape was not cowardly, but smart. The raging bull saw red, and Kathleen made sure she was not in the path of its charge. If one thought that was cowardly, then allow them to suffer the consequences of their "bravery", but the Queen wouldn't allow that. Instead, she went at her own pace, allowing the referee to count while she recovered, knowing she had until ten and that, for a high-profile match such as this, she'd get some leeway. No one wanted to see a count-out after all, for this match to finish outside the ring.

So, after the referee sounded "Three!", and then urged Kathleen to get back into the ring, the Queen stood back up and ran a hand through her hair. Her glare shot up towards Astrid and analyzed her posture, seeing that she was still cupping her arm and was hunched slightly. As much as Kathleen was hurting, it at least brought her satisfaction to see that the blonde was suffering as well. "You can call me a coward all you'd like - we both know what you feel inside," Kathleen fired back, cautiously approaching the apron and beginning to climb back on. Making sure she was in close proximity to the ref just in case Astrid decided to charge forward.

"And you're wounded," Kathleen sneered, gesturing towards the arm her opponent was clutching, the one that had been barraged with those knee strikes. "You know you can't finish this." The Queen then stepped back through the ropes and into the ring, her eyes never leaving Astrid to assure she wouldn't get jumped the second she re-entered, but also to let her glare simmer on the heavyweight. Like a predator eyeing the weakest prey in the herd. If there was an advantage to be had, it was the psychological one, and she was going to press that as much as she could.

Kathleen then began to circle the ring, arms up in a grappler's position, as if trying to read Astrid and what her next move was. Charging in head-first to her, even with one arm, wasn't the wisest choice right now. Not when she could throw the heavyweight off her game without laying a finger on her. "But let's see you try, as pitifully as you can."

[CaptainL]

Casting a stern glare on her from above, Astrid watched Kathleen from the ring - her hands planted on her hips, a withering look in her eye. The middleweight had done nothing to hide the contempt she felt for Astrid, and Astrid, in turn, had no sympathy for anyone who showed the disrespect Kathleen did for the rules of a fair contest. The fact that she was staying outside the ring, baiting Astrid into leaving the legal confines of the ropes, was a statement - she was trying to tear Astrid down, and show the world that her belief in what was fair and right was only holding back her true potential. The Norsewoman's teeth clenched tighter, the tension in her body rising the longer she watched her foe. But she couldn't meet her on her terms. She wasn't going to dignify Kathleen's challenge with an answer. She was better than that, and she couldn't let Kathleen get away with what she was doing.

As the ref counted higher and higher, all eyes were fixed on the two women, watching for what they would do next. The fans waited intently on whose composure would be the first to break - and the two competitors themselves were locked onto one another, neither of them daring to let the other out of their sights for even a moment. But at last, Kathleen spoke. And when she did...it was enough to make Astrid's jaw drop in a gasp.

Kathleen saw through her. She knew that for all Astrid wanted to show the world she was as strong as ever, that she wasn't going to let her loss get to her, that she would emerge from Fight the LAW graciously and ready to move on and face any challenge with the determination and willpower she'd always shown...she was still hurting, on the inside and out. Those doubts had crept into her mind, in no small part thanks to Kathleen herself. Astrid knew she'd lost before, not once but twice, and she could only ask herself if this was the portent of something greater. No matter how much she tried to deny it, those fears were holding Astrid back. They had planted the possibility in her mind that she could be defeated, every time she entered the ring. And now, against Kathleen - an opponent who saw those fears, and who was more determined than ever to hold a mirror up to Astrid's flaws; an opponent who had left her hurting - those fears were stronger than ever. The blonde's eyes had gone wide, and the color drained from her face. She knew, then, how empty her words had been. Was Kathleen the coward? Or was it Astrid - the woman who was refusing to meet Kathleen head to head, because she knew doing so came with the possibility of defeat?

"Four! Five!"

Astrid shook those thoughts out of her head, her teeth clenching in a grimace. She couldn't let Kathleen bring her low like this. If she hesitated because she'd let Kathleen get into her head, she had already ceded to her, and she could never be worthy of the victory! The aches and pains in her arm bubbled to the surface, and she clutched her shoulder a little tighter as her opponent reminded her of how she was hurt, but Astrid couldn't let it stop her now. She had to prove Kathleen wrong!

"That's...where you're wrong." Astrid hissed the words in a growl through her clenched teeth. Leaning forward, she bent lower at the knee, bracing her body and readying for takeoff, as her eyes locked tighter on Kathleen. She couldn't hold back any more. She had a point to prove! Suddenly, her tactics would change - bellowing a battle cry, she charged the ropes as Kathleen passed by, and as she came onto the apron, she vaulted through the ropes, flinging herself into Kathleen to try and take her down with a flying crossbody! It was a step outside of Astrid's comfort zone, not only meeting Kathleen's dare but also in using such aerial moves. But Kathleen left her with no choice!