L.A.W. - League of Anime Wrestling

William sighed as Astrid sank back and saw an even more sad Tina walk herself up the ramp. Not to mention the crowd’s incessant booing drowned the mood in even more sadness. This ain’t gonna stand with him. Plenty of years in the business and William had his fair share of drawbacks, but nothing stopped him before and nothing will now. He asked a ring worker for the microphone and started beating at it to get everyone’s attention. He first went over to the ropes and shouted “TINA! Please come back.”

William walked to the middle of the ring to face Astrid as the younger heavyweight would just stand there with shame written all over her face. He brought the mic up to his mouth and looked at his fiancé.

“Astrid….look at me….are you going to let Selket stand around to beat you up? Are you just going to let this shame overcome you? No, no, no. That ain’t the woman I’m marrying. The Astrid I know is gonna stand up and wipe off her boots for the next big match. The Astrid I know is going to walk down that ramp and give it her all even if she might lose. The Astrid I know is gonna prove the doubters wrong. You’re Astrid Ostberg. Victor over Cyber Widow and savior of the Ostberg legacy. You didn’t let mind games control your ambitions as you bulldozed over Selket. You took on Dana Ashford, someone who clearly saw you out of her league. You always do great, Astrid! Who cares what anyone else thinks? You get caught up in some trivial things and are stubborn, but that’s the woman I loved these past three years. That’s the woman I want to marry. So, tell me, you gonna really take this lying down?” William asked before Tina got on the apron.

“And you…you almost beat your idol. People almost saw a new heavyweight champion as shocking as it may be to admit it. You got guts, Tina. You just had a bad luck moment tonight with…an interjecting priestess. But the same question goes to you….you just gonna cry your eyes out and let this define you? Or are you going to hold your head high and go after Selket for costing you this moment? It’s clear this meant a whole lot to you….both of you. But if you just admit defeat and surrender on your knees, people like Selket win no matter what. You prove to them that you both are nothing compared to them. So, are we gonna take this lying down? I want a truthful answer. Are we, crowd? ”

It wasn't supposed to be this way. Astrid had taken the time out to defend her championship, even knowing that she had an even bigger defense on the horizon, and a whole slew of plans laid for going up against Kat and Alaina at Fight the LAW - she knew full well that if she lost, and her championship changed hands, it would have forced them all to be rescheduled, but when she had seen the dedication Tina showed toward living up to Astrid's example and proving herself to be a worthy challenger for the belt, the Norsewoman couldn't help but oblige. And Tina had lived up to her promises in rising to the challenge, giving Astrid a fight worthy of the title of number-one contender. For a moment, it looked as though she was even about to come away with the win - and if she did, she would have won fair and square, and Astrid would have accepted her victory with honor. But thanks to an uninvited guest, everything had come crashing down around them - and what was supposed to be a meeting of pride between a between a proud champion and her protege had led to dishonor and disgust.

When Astrid watched Tina leave the ring and make her way up the ramp, she let out a sigh. She had been enjoying this match - the honor of knowing she had been the one to inspire Tina to such heights, and the thrill of facing off against someone on her level - and she wished it could have ended on a better note. She wanted to congratulate Tina for her efforts, whether she won or lost. She wanted to hear her thanks, and to know how thrilled she was to have the approval of someone who she looked up to so much. But it just wasn't to be. Just thinking about it made her brow furrow in frustration, thinking of what Selket had done, and wanting to see her punished all the more when she had wronged her like this...

And indeed, that was when Astrid looked up to hear what William was saying. With each reminder of how things had gone, and how far she'd come, the frown on her face began to soften, until finally forming into a smile as Astrid stood taller. She knew this wasn't over. She might have thought she'd settled the score with Selket, but the Egyptian clearly didn't agree. But Astrid wasn't someone who made promises she wouldn't keep, and she wasn't someone who would let such threats to her honor slide. If Selket felt things weren't done...then she was going to be next. William knew that. And William believed in her. She nodded her head to him, and she pressed her fist into the palm of her hand.

"Thanks, Will," she said. "I know you're counting on me. And believe me, I know you're going to be cheering me on as I show Selket I won't let this fly! So I'll make sure it's one you can remember...for you, and for her." Her eyes settled on Tina as William next addressed her, curious as to how she would respond...

Tina heard William call out for her as she stopped, she was surprised at how quick Astrid and William's arguments ceased. Maybe she could still have that post match hang-out with Astrid after all. She took a deep breath and slowly made her way back to the ring, if only because of the aggravating pain in her neck as she grimaced and slowly made her way back to the ring, allowing William his time to address Astrid by the time she walked up the steps and entered back into the ring.

As William finished addressing her and Astrid promised she was going to have a rematch with Selket that Tina she finally grunted out and shoved the side of her head hard enough to give her neck the pop it needed as she nodded her head at Astrid and William as she held her hand out for a chance at the mic. Once she was given the mic she brought it up to her lips. "Thank you, first of all, fans of LAW, I hope that I did you proud and that I gave my fan's and Astrid's fans the kind of televised match that you all will never forget and I thank each and every one of you for coming out tonight and those at home that took the time to watch!" She mentioned as she then paused for the pop to fade. "William, thank you for the motivational speech and congrats to you and Astrid on your engagement."

She then looked over to Astrid. "I appreciate your hunger to seek vengeance on Selket, but my problem's with Selket, go further back than your championship match that you had with her. She humiliated me in my debut and almost made me question if I really deserved a chance to be here as an up and comer. However I fought past her mind games, I've busted my ass to climb up the ladder, and once I got to those last few rungs, then she reappears and tried to attack me with more mind games? Now she shows up and pushed me off the ladder?" She then wiggled her finger nono. "While she might have some beef with you, I think she's afraid of me. Selket, your afraid of how much stronger I have gotten since I made my debut. This is why you are trying to play these mind games. To make me try to not believe in myself."

"That is where you made a major mistake. It doesn't matter if you manage to get into my head." She mentioned as she pointed towards the crowd. "As long as the fans believe in me and as long as they continue to rally behind me and give me strength I need, you are now going to be powerless to stop me." She then looked back to Astrid. "So Astrid, as much as you want revenge on Selket, you have a title defense you need to prepare for, so apologies, but Selket is mine and I'm sorry if I don't save you any leftovers." She mentioned as she shrugged apologetically as the fans popped as she then looked to the camera as she spoke with a fiery passion. "Selket! Fight The Law! Amway Arena! I challenge you to any kind of match you want! You may have kicked me off the ladder, but I'm grabbing you by the neck and pulling you down with me!"