L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

The same crowd who had gathered to watch the explosive confrontation between Astrid and Bernadette, eager as ever to stay on top of new developments happening in LAW, could now only watch on in wide-eyed shock. The Harbingers weren't content with just threatening Astrid and locking her into a match - they weren't going to let her go without a stern reminder of what it was they were capable of! A few gasps rang out through the crowd as Astrid was hurled down into the sand, kicking up a small cloud in her wake. But as much as everyone feared for Astrid's safety in the face of a ruthless aggressive assailant like Candice, no one was willing to look away either - no one dared take their eyes off a scene as terrifying as this!

Astrid was trying to crawl her way to safety - every time she moved, and every time she dragged herself across the coarse sand, she winced and hissed as the pressure made another ache run up through her body, but she steeled herself and spurred herself on regardless. She knew that against a foe like Candice, she didn't have any other option! However, she would soon find herself cut off in mid-stride as Candice grabbed her from behind - and she only had a moment to process the shock before she was hauled backward with a sharp jerk, into the path of a stomp that slammed down against her leg!

The sound of a sharp thud rang out, and a stinging pain rang its way through Astrid's leg, causing the Norsewoman's back to bend in an arc as though trying to reel away from the blow. Her jaw dropped in a half-breathless gasp, her eyes squeezed shut to hold back tears. However, that same pain could embolden her as much as it hurt her. Hissing through clenched teeth, she'd attempt to yank herself forward with a sharp jerk, kicking her legs at the same time to try and pull free of Candice's grip!

Candice wanted to make sure every second felt like years of torture and sorrow for Astrid as if it wasn't for her, she wouldn't have been disgraced from stepping into the country she was born and raised in! "Awwww gonna cry Astrid? I would too if I lost my heavyweight title to an old hag and then be reduced to doing bikini shoots for pervs! Candice continued to mock and belittle her blonde foe much to her amusement as she began to laugh. Right before Candice put affirm more pressure to the hold... "GAUCKK!!!!!" Candice stumbled back as she felt Astrid's foot being pressed straight into her gut! "You fucking.... bitch..." Candice cried out as the air was sucked right of her.

"Oh well I guess it's my turn." Bernadette chuckled as while Astrid was focused on escaping Candice's hold, the bomb quickly got around to be right front of Astrid to set up her next move. Bernadette stared down from above with a fierce domineering grin on her face before she reached down to grab Astrid by her ankles! "Time to fly Astrid!!!"" Bernadette chuckled as if she were successful, the bomb would have Astrid in position for a typical piledriver. "Such a shame. After you met that Pop Idol, you went soft. And now you're just a joke." Bernadette spoke firmly making sure to stop at just the right second to let her words linger into Astrid's mind as the blood was surely running down to her skull before she transition into a Deadlift Cradle Tombstone to spike Astrid's neck down into the sand as hard as possible!

Every word out of Candice's mouth sent goosebumps up along the back of Astrid's neck, and she clenched her teeth a little tighter, holding in hot breath. They were blows that landed just as sharply and solidly as any moves she could have landed against the Norsewoman, and Astrid was feeling their lingering pains just as much as she could feel the sore throbbing in her head from the DDT Candice had just landed on her. Even when her feet buried themselves into Candice's midsection, causing the green-haired girl to go stumbling away, any relief that brought Astrid would ultimately be fleeting and short-lived. Maybe, she thought, she had brought a stop to Candice's assault, and maybe she had even taken back some control in the process. But did that mean anything when Candice had still planted those thoughts in her head - still left her asking how relevant she truly was, and how long she could keep things up? Her words echoed Astrid's deepest fears - perhaps she really had let her glory days pass her by.

In any case, Astrid wouldn't have long to think on such things. Candice had been knocked away, only for Bernadette to swfitly swing in and take her place. The Harbingers were capable of striking faster than Astrid could ever be ready for! She barely even had time to gasp before Bernadette grabbed hold of her ankles - and soon enough, she was suspended in midair, her body dangling low as she found herself trapped in Bernadette's clutches as she began to set up a piledriver!

"No-!!" Astrid gasped, the words leaving her mouth before she had a chance to consciously think of anything she might've had to say. She could feel the blood rushing to her head and the throbbing sensation in her temples as she was dangled upside down from Bernadette's grip. It was a display that even won Bernadette a few cheers and gasps from the onlookers, who could only be morbidly curious of whatever Bernadette had in mind next. A few camera flashes went off around to capture the moment - and there Astrid was, feeling every set of eyes resting on her. She'd be remembered, she knew, for being here, at one of her lowest points, at Benadette's hand. Her breath quickened into gasps, and heart throbbed. For all her pride, this was no moment Astrid wanted to be remembered - yet what did she have now to do anything about it?

Whatever thoughts Astrid might have been lost with, they wouldn't go on for long. Just then, the pressure released - and Astrid was dropped straight down through the air. It all went by so fast, she didn't even have the time to get a full scream out of her lungs before her head struck the sand. She flopped forward, her body laying flat, as the slack went into her muscles. The moment she hit the ground, everything below her neck felt numb. She hissed through her teeth - she knew full well that she needed, by all means, to get back up and keep fighting. And yet, she couldn't find that strength in her.

No matter how many times she'd play out this same scenario in her head...now that push came to shove, she couldn't act on it. She tried to move an arm, a leg, but everything felt numb - and nothing moved more than an inch. Her whole world was a dull, ringing pain; every will to move, to fight back, to get up and resist fell away from her. She panted for breath, trying to will that fight back into her, but the will never came.

All she could do was lay there, looking up at the Harbingers through wide eyes - and she couldn't forget what they were saying.

Had she gone soft?

Bernadette had Astrid at her complete and utter mercy as she watched Astrid's face slowly turning noxious from the blood going down to her skull. Either way Bernadette was proud as right when Astrid looked like a blueberry the brunette would let out a battle cry as she exerted her muscles to lift Astrid up before slamming her neck first on the sand! BOOM! A thud was let out as right when Bernadette connected Astrid with the sand, the sand beneath their feet shot up in the air like a puff of smoke from an explosion before they fell down like on the back of the brunette. "That you saw Astrid, was real muscle, I would be happy to teach you sometime." Bernadette chuckled as she rolled off the heaping blonde and jumped straight back up to her feet, dusting herself off as her comrades stepped right up looking down at the injured heavyweight."That's right bitch! STAY DOWN!!!!!" Candice yelled with ferocity in her voice as she stomped down on Astrid but there was no response from her body. "Oh would you look at that. You must've hit you're neck pretty hard on the way down steroids for brains!" Candice grinned with sinister delight at the prospect of Astrid being paralysis from the neck down before Bernadette stretched her arm out in front of her. The audience gasped by this development as the camera was still rolling with Bernadette taking a step forward. "I hope everyone here saw what just occurred because what you saw just now was nothing more than a small glimpse of what is going to happen once Astrid has fully recovered. By the time we're done with her, she'll be just as bad as that pop Idol she once had no problems beating!" Bernadette let out a loud demeaning tone of voice as she placed her foot down on Astrid's face crossing her arms underneath her breasts to strike a pose in front of everyone with the camera's flashing as a result. "Heh, would you look at that." Bernadette added in a smearing tone before glancing down at Astrid. "This was once you're photoshoot and now, you're just a prop for us. Maybe if you were ruthless like you're grandfather that Idol wouldn't have made you soft." She giggled flicking her hair out for dramatic effect as Annabelle begin to sit on Astrid's stomach for a pose while Candice grinded her foot down on Astrid's womanhood for the small slither of chance Astrid feels pain in her neither regions.

Astrid's teeth clenched into a desperate grimace as she settled against the sand. She shook her head left and right, doing her best to struggle - but nothing she could do could help her pull free from the Harbingers. Her whole body felt numb - when she'd landed on her spine, it had caused a shock to go through her nerves, sapping her strength and leaving her whole body heavy and sinking against the sand. She couldn't find the strength in her to move. And while that numbness dulled the sore ache going through her muscles from where she landed, the physical pain was nothing compared to the humiliation that came from being pinned down and demeaned beneath the Harbingers, who sent her a keen reminder that they had hijacked this moment and taken control - and that Astrid couldn't do a thing about it.

Hot bile bubbled up in the Norsewoman's throat as her fists coiled uselessly at her sides. Astrid was better than this - she knew she was better than this. She had been a champion. She had worn her accomplishments with pride, as proof of her strength and endurance and willpower. And yet, she'd lost to Rose Gold. She'd failed to defend her title against Alaina Sanders. With each passing day, it seemed like more and more relevance was slipping through her fingers - the Harbingers were even calling into question how well she could beat Nashi Dragneel, who Astrid had regarded as a prospective star, but who was still remembered first and foremost for her idol career. If Astrid couldn't measure up to her, then what hope was there for her?

Even before Bernadette planted her foot down on Astrid's face, the blonde could feel her cheeks burning with heat at the thought that everyone was witnessing her in such a moment of shame. Even before Annabelle's weight settled against her midsection, she could feel herself pinned down under the weight of everyone's judgmental gaze. Even before Candice's foot jabbed against her groin, drawing a pained hiss from Astrid, she could still feel her body contort with discomfort. She knew she had been singled out - made to feel small, made to feel powerless. And that was one thing Astrid couldn't abide by.

Astrid's salvation would only come just then as a team of paramedics rushed their way through the beach, pushing aside spectators on their way to the downed heavyweight. After the nasty fall Astrid had taken, one of the onlookers had reported an ambulance, and now the medical staff were getting down to her level, checking her for any signs of damage as they prepared a stretcher. Another paramedic turned to the Harbingers, beckoning them to step off Astrid. This was no time for them to mess around. If they got off Astrid, they would proceed to haul her onto the stretcher and into the ambulance - but as Astrid went in, her eyes were still fixed on the Harbingers. She knew this wasn't over.

Continued here