An important match request (for CaptainL)

[Bearhug Goddess]

Tonight was a special event for Ambre who was going to do several things that she would never have imagined a few months ago. The petite heavyweight took a long breath to expel all her regrets, stress and fears in the locker room before walking out of the room, leaving behind all her doubts, she was only to show her confident face tonight, even though what she was going to last several minutes, even if now she had to face the long dark corridor that led to the ring.

("Damn, it's more stressful than a match !")

The French woman's heart was beating harder and harder with each step towards the exit of the corridor, her legs seemed to be asking her to go back, that it was a bad idea to go there. But what should she be afraid of? She was just going to grab a microphone and publicly challenge one of the wrestlers she respected the most in this league. Her heart was still pounding, feeling like her heart was going to explode until she heard some music. It wasn't her theme but some other music she had requested to be played for her arrival.

Music

The music soothed Ambre who regained calm the following seconds, her eyes were now filled with courage and determination. She was ready.
She finally crossed the corridor, found herself under the spotlights and the astonishment of the spectators who did not expect to see Ambre arrive today, she had no match scheduled for this evening however. The Black Pearl greeted the spectators with her brightest smile and before stepping into the ring, she went to the commentary table to borrow a microphone from them.

Ambre

"Ahem... Hi everyone!..."

A long silence is heard when Ambre spoke and the music stopped. No turning back was possible now, but Ambre's eyes didn't seem to show an ounce of hesitation or fear, her eyes were watching the audience around her followed by the camera in front of her. which showed live what was happening.

"For people who doesn't know me, I'm Ambre! Ambre Brault, also known as the Black Pearl! I'm 25 and I'm French!"

She slowly walked into the ring as she spoke, continuing to look serious and confident. Fortunately for her, as soon as Ambre spoke, nothing could stop her anymore, so she didn't have time to think back on what she was saying and could throw out everything she had in her heart.

"I made this trip to LAW for a reason, to fight against women just as strong as me! I want to say that I am not disappointed so far, I have been able to face a lot of powerful women. .. But do you know what my goal is?

She paused for a few seconds to give the viewers time to think about the question.

"The heavyweight championship belt ! Held at this very moment by the magnificent and super-powerful Alaina-Sanders-Haines !"

She sighed again, changing her hand microphone, walking around the ring watching the public who was now attentive to the next words of the French.

"At the risk of disappointing some of you, I am not here to challenge the Amazon. Although I respect her, there is also a woman against whom I wish to measure myself, even before Alaina become our champion."

She turned around to find herself in front of the camera and pointed at it, staring into the lens with an air of determination and even more confidence than before.

"The great Astrid Ostberg, the former heavyweight champion, I want to go up against you in a match where we give it our all! I want to prove to LAW that I have the stuff, the strength, the determination and everything necessary to become a champion!"

Ambre managed to make noise in the public, it was the first time that she dared to take the microphone to speak to people and on top of that she provoked not the current champion but the former heavyweight champion. Some spectators were impressed, others found it ridiculous, but Ambre sincerely wished to measure herself against Astrid, she hoped at least to be taken seriously for this first speech and provocation.

[CaptainL]

Even if no one had expected Ambre to make an appearance on tonight's card, it didn't take long for the fans to get hyped up about her arrival anyway. In her time in LAW, she had cemented herself as one of the top prospects to watch in the Heavyweight Division, according to several commenters - and many a fan would agree. From the beginning of her stint with the company, she had left it in no uncertain terms that she was out to cement herself as champion material. She had made her pursuit of the Heavyweight Championship clear from day one, and it was hard not to be swayed by her conviction and her dedication to making that dream a reality. She was still a bit shy, and a bit unprepared to give a speech - that showed in her voice and her cadence. But the fact that she was out here at all won her plenty of cheers, and the excitement could only grow and grow the more she spoke. When she let the bomb drop - when she announced her ambitious plan to take on Astrid Ostberg herself - the whole arena burst into applause! Ambre was truly shooting for the top, and from the chants and cheers raining down from the rafters, everyone was calling on her to take that shot.

But no matter how many cheers Ambre got, her warm reception was nothing compared to the one that followed. The former Heavyweight Champion knew she had been called. And she was here to answer!

Entrance Music

Spoiler

In her heyday, Astrid had enjoyed a long reign, and one where she was front and center in the public eye. Many had been endeared by her strength, her endurance, and her undying belief in the art of wrestling, and even if the night she lost her championship was still a recent memory, she was undeniably still one of the faces of LAW. Even before she stepped out onto the ramp, her unmistakable theme music garnered plenty of cheers; the whole arena seemed to shake under the drumming feet and clapping hands of her supporters. And when she came striding down toward the ring, she faced all the cheering fans with a grin on her face and a wave of her hand. Whether she was a champion or not, Astrid still had all these people who were loyal and devoted to her, and would rally behind her no matter what. Sometimes, the Norsewoman questioned what she would be without her title. But the cheers she got now were a reminder that, yes, she had a future still - a bright one, full of potential.

"Thank you, thank you! All of you! I never get tired of that..." Astrid chuckled to herself. However, it wasn't the fans in the stand that meant the most to her here and now. It was one fan in particular, who was in the ring right in front of her. Ambre Brault, the Black Pearl herself!

"And a special thank you to you," Astrid added. As she climbed up the ropes, onto the apron and into the ring, she let her eyes settle on her would-be opponent. "It always warms my heart to know that I can bring the house down just from setting foot in this arena. It tells me that no matter where I am, and no matter what titles I hold or don't hold..." She lingered on that point, looking off, but continued. "...I'll always have your support. But if there's one thing that meant the most to me about being a champion, and that still means so much to me now, as such a high-profile public figure today...it's knowing I'm inspiring so many people out there to be the best they can be, and to keep pushing the future of this sport to better and better places. The little girls of today who want to make themselves into the champions of tomorrow - and the young ladies like you, Ambre, who want to change the face of the present."

"This might be the first time the two of us have shared a ring, but it's certainly not the first I've seen of you. And if there's one thing that defines you more than anything else...in my book, it's your confidence. You dream big. You want to be a champion - you haven't been afraid to tell that to the world - and you're willing to go wherever and do whatever might be necessary to achieve that goal. Take it from me - if you're going to be the best there is, you won't get there through idle action. You need a plan and a purpose, a will and a drive to succeed. If you're looking for an endorsement...Ambre, I see that in you."

The fans cheered Astrid's support of her challenger. "I can see you're going about this the right way. You want to prove yourself. Not only do you want to beat the current champion - and believe me, I know Alaina well enough to tell you that takes guts - but you want to beat me, too. The previous champion. You feel like if you can't beat me, you don't stand a chance of beating Alaina, is that right?" Astrid bit her lip, just a little - did she really want to imply that she was little more than a stepping stone, and that Alaina was truly who mattered? Was that her conceding defeat? But she shook her head out, all the same, and her face went serious.

"I applaud the effort you're putting in...but I want to ask, will it be enough? Do you think you have what it takes to best me now? You've shown promise, that's for sure - but only time can tell if you're truly championship material. So, Ambre, I want to ask, just how convinced are you that you can beat me? This isn't a challenge I would want anyone stepping up to unless they truly believe, in their heart of hearts, that they can do it. And I must ask...is that you?"

[Bearhug Goddess]

To her greatest astonishment, Ambre found herself applauded by the vast majority for her first speech, she really did not expect that but this reaction from the public warmed her heart. However, her little moment of glory came to a sharp halt when a theme she knew began to sound, the person she had just challenged to a duel had just arrived.
Astrid was there and the public was screaming when she arrived. Ambre was usually in the place of her people in the audience but this time she was the challenger. She had always been impressed by Astrid but had never had the courage to see her face to face and even less in such an important context. A slightly nervous smile was seen on the face of the Frenchwoman who was mentally fighting against herself, her fangirl side should not take over her challenging side.

Astrid climbed into the ring with a microphone in hand and spoke. Ambre listened carefully to everything the former champion had to say, looking her in the eyes without taking her eyes off her for a second and without cutting her off so as not to appear disrespectful. Astrid was a giant compared to Ambre but that didn't impress the Black Pearl that much, she used to fight wrestlers taller than her as she was one of the shortest wrestlers in her class. division.
The French was surprised to see the former champion know so much about her, she did not expect her career to face so much noise. Also, she did not expect to have so many compliments, the former champion was really a remarkable woman who knew how to motivate Ambre with her words without telling her that she had a chance. Astrid's message was clear for Ambre, she had to prove that she had everything to be champion.

Ambre's nervous smile disappeared and her bright smile returned, as Astrid had told her, she had to continue showing her confidence. Her gaze also changing, she looked at the giantess in front of her with eyes filled with respect but above all with challenge. Astrid finished speaking by leaving a question to Ambre, it was now her turn to speak and this time, in front of one of her idols in the same ring as her.

"It's me who should be thanking you Mrs. Astrid, I thank you with all my body for being here, in front of me, in the same ring and for your words, having been noticed by an image of the heavyweight division of LAW is a great honor... If I'm here as a wrestler it's because of women like you, I want to know what it's like to be strong... You're one of my idols, I'd be lying to you if I said don't want to become as strong and respected as you...!"

She took a deep breath, dealing with each subject one by one before she could answer the question that had just been posed to her.

"Don't take this the wrong way, I want to compete against all the former champions of this division and the title challengers! But I want to start with you because you were the champion when I arrived... You are necessarily the first on my list !.."

A small embarrassed laugh escaped from the mouth of Ambre who, speaking without thinking, had just openly said that she would challenge all the people who had owned the belt and wanted the champion's belt. Was it arrogance or a blunder? Maybe a bit of both? In any case, Ambre was convinced by her dream and was not going to let go so soon, she dreamed of becoming champion and had to see herself as champion before being able to say openly what her dream was.
Now that all the subjects had just been mentioned, it was time for Ambre to answer Astrid.
Was she really ready? Did she feel she had the makings of a challenger? Was she ready to prove and share her words and her dream to people in a ring? The Black Pearl lowered her head and remained silent and blinked for a good second before raising her head and looking once again at the former champion with a whole new look. Her eyes only showed one thing, that she was determined and ready to fight against one of her idols and prove to her that she was capable of making her dream a reality. The tone of her voice was also changing, Ambre sounded very confident and her words came out of her mouth without any thought or doubt.

"And finally to answer you, yes. Yes I am convinced that I can beat you because I have to! As I said before, I am a wrestler who admires you enormously, your journey motivates me to be like you but this is not is not enough for me... I must not be like you, I must be better! I must be the best! I may still be seen as a rookie by a large number of spectators but one day, everyone world will remember Ambre Brault, the Black Pearl, the one who will defeat all the heavyweight champions and her future challengers, I will be remembered as the best heavyweight champion!"

Ambre was panting softly at the end of her sentence, she was completely relaxed and excited when she finally noticed what she had just said in front of Astrid. No return was possible now, the whole public was upset after such an announcement from the French, the heavyweight division had better watch out now.

"I'm ready to face you anytime, in any ring, in any match! This time I won't give it my all as usual, I'll push my limits and I will do it again and again if I have to!"

[CaptainL]

Ambre might not have thought she amounted to much, but when she'd been as outspoken as she was about her dreams of becoming Heavyweight Champion, it didn't take long for the people to notice. When she was still a relative newcomer to LAW, it showed no small amount of courage, confidence, and determination to make such a challenge, and the strength of her willpower was enough to impress many in the crowd. The cheers she was getting were proof enough of that! But there was one person, in particular, who had been keenly aware of Ambre's dedication to her desires - and that was the former champion, Astrid Ostberg herself. Astrid recognized that the first quality a would-be champion needed was that willingness to put faith in their abilities and stand up to the challenge, no matter the risks. If Ambre was willing to boast about her goals, she had that. If she was willing to make such a public statement about her challenge, she had that. She showed promise - now, it was time to see just how dedicated she really was.

A smile crossed the Norsewoman's face as she looked down at Ambre. Though she'd seen her work before, this was the first time she'd seen her in the flesh, and she looked her up and down, studying her physique - despite her small stature, she had a well-built frame that showed how much focus she'd put into her training, and she had the look of a true star. She could already tell she was making waves with her bravado alone. But what truly moved Astrid was when she heard Ambre call her her idol. To that, she smiled wider, nodding her head in a short but respectful bow. "Thank you," she said softly. It was times like these that reminded Astrid why she was so grateful to be here. She had come to the wrestling business in the first place because she had admired veterans like Alaina Sanders and her own father, and now, to know that she was lending that same inspiration to the rising stars of today, she knew in her heart that she could only leave the industry better than she found it.

But Astrid also knew that she didn't get to where she was through lack of effort. If Ambre one day wanted to be where Astrid was now, she would have to work just as hard as she had. Astrid hadn't become a champion without pushing her body to its limits, and always striving to beat her records in every contest she put herself up to the task in. Ambre had the start of something going for her. She had the enthusiasm. But Astrid could still recognize the wide-eyed optimism of an eager rookie in her, and only time could tell if that would translate into the drive to succeed.

When Ambre declared that she didn't want to be as good as Astrid, but better, a few gasps went through the crowd. All eyes turned to Astrid, waiting to see how she'd respond - if such a beloved icon would tolerate such a challenge to her status. But to the surprise of many, Astrid only smiled wider, and she nodded her head. She knew it, now. Ambre had the drive she needed.

"I'm proud of you," Astrid stated - and that statement drew a few gasps. "I can see you're eager. I can see how much having a shot at the top means to you. And when it comes to ambition, I don't think I've met anyone who shines brighter. The goals you've outlined...it outshines even my greatest accomplishments. The challenges you've named aren't going to be easy. Not by a long shot. You don't just want to beat Alaina, or me, but everyone who's staked a claim for the belt I had around my waist. And as someone who's been in the ring with plenty of them, I should know, that's not something just anyone can do. Kat Hart, Cali McCloud, Linda Halloween, Cyber Widow, Selket...you're saying you want to surpass all of them! Some of the strongest and most accomplished women not just in LAW, but in all of professional wrestling! Well, Ambre..."

Astrid took a pause. Even after all the encouragment and praise she'd shown Ambre, many were expecting her to shoot her down. But...she didn't. "...Be my guest. It'll be hard, there's no doubt about that. But the first step toward any goal is to commit to it. If you're already this confident, you're halfway there. And if you can surpass all the women I have and more...then I think there will be no question that you deserve this title."

A few cheers and gasps rang from the stands before Astrid continued, laying a hand on Ambre's shoulder. "And, to set you on your journey...Ambre Brault, I accept your challenge! But if you're going to take on the best heavyweights LAW has to offer, you're going to need plenty of time to prepare. You're still young, and you'll need the time to train and hone your skills. But, if you can put yourself up to the task, and shape yourself into a worthy contender, if you have the dedication you need to do so...you'll be well on your way!"

"So, Ambre, this is my offer! I will face you, but I won't face you here and now. I'll give you the next few months to train, so that when we meet again, you'll have the best chance you may have. If you've truly got it, you'll commit yourself to the task, and if you do, I'll know you've got the makings of a champion in you. But after the time I'm giving you is up...then we will meet again. This winter, at the next Fight the LAW!"

Astrid's declaration won many a cheer. The next PPV was a ways off, but already Astrid had pitched what was quickly shaping up to be a hotly anticipated match! Now, all eyes were on Ambre, waiting to see how she'd respond...

[Bearhug Goddess]

The public no longer knew how to react to all her announcements coming from the Black Pearl, a lot of people encouraging her for her audacity, her courage and her ambitions but some were a little refuted at the idea of hearing a new recruit challenge openly as many known wrestlers, especially Astrid who was standing in front of her. A good part of the people could not appreciate this behavior coming from the French who dared to provoke their favorite wrestler, but fortunately Astrid was there.

The words of the former champion were more than enough to lower the tension of the public. Amber's cheeks turned slightly red with all the encouragement and congratulations she received from her idol and she was very lucky to idolize a woman as respectful as Astrid. The very first physical contact between the two women happened to be a hand on the shoulder from Astrid, it was a very friendly gesture and Amber could only smile at the giantess in front of her, she dared not confess but she was petrified by the fear of doing something unpleasant.

Then comes the moment of Astrid's response which was positive under certain conditions, the match will take place at the next big LAW event which takes place in winter, Fight the LAW. This fight against Astrid was a big step for Amber, making this match her first PPV match was a completely logical idea coming from the former champion. This match will take place in half a year, it was more than enough time for Amber to train and improve. On this point, Astrid was right, Ambre was still young and still had a lot to learn and improve, especially her endurance which was her biggest weak point to date.

She closed her eyes again and clenched her left fist while holding the microphone in her right hand. She was thinking strongly about her last 10 minutes, seeing herself panicking in the locker room, challenging Astrid in public, finding herself in front of her and challenging her face to face again... It wasn't a dream, it was reality . Only one thing happened in Amber's head, wrestling is fucking incredible!

She sighed, releasing her body, loosening her point before reopening her eyes to look Astrid in the eye again. This little scene had lasted tens of seconds for Amber while it had lasted only one or two seconds for the people around her. She smiled greatly at Astrid and looked at her with flames in her eyes, she was more motivated than ever to find herself around 6 months later to find herself in the same ring as her.

"Thank you Miss Ostberg, thank you for your encouragement, your words and your interest. I promise not to relax before our match, I will train hard to offer you a match worthy of you! A match that I will not I'll never forget and you won't forget either! I won't disappoint you...! Thanks again for your kindness !..."

[CaptainL]

When Ambre had made her challenge, no one knew what to expect. Would the former champion be offended by an upstart like Ambre making a grab for her title? Would she deem her insolent? Hot-headed? Would she see a need to show Ambre her place? Had it been any other wrestler she had been calling out, Ambre could well have garnered such reactions. But when it was Astrid Ostberg she was dealing with, that was another story. Astrid had nothing but respect for the art of wrestling, and for anyone so determined and so dedicated to their craft that they were willing to push themselves to the pinnacle of what they could achieve and the pinnacle of what the highest level of competition demanded. And if Ambre was willing to hold herself to such standards, and to push herself to achieving them, Astrid could recognize the spirit of a would-be champion in her - and that was something she could only encourage! In the past, Astrid had turned away challengers who couldn't back up their claims, but when she had seen everything Ambre had accomplished, she was willing to put her faith in her. And she wanted to see Ambre at nothing less than the peak of her potential!

When Astrid named her offer to face Ambre at Fight the LAW, the fans could only cheer louder and louder! There were surely some who were skeptical if Ambre had what it took to stand on Astrid's level, but now, that apprehension had all but been forgotten. A match between Astrid Ostberg, the former Heavyweight Champion, whose dedication to perfection in the sport was the stuff of legends, and an Ambre Brault who had been so fueled by her determination and her willingness to prove herself that she was willing to take herelf to the next level, under the banner of a major PPV and with Ambre having plenty of time to prepare, was sure to be a spectacle to behold! The fact that Astrid was willing to face her at such an event was a sign that the Norwegian believed that Ambre could give her a match worthy of the billing, and now, all the fans were just as convinced as Astrid was. And no one, perhaps, was more excited than Ambre herself. When Astrid saw the enthusiasm on the Frenchwoman's face, she smiled even wider, nodding her head to her assuringly. Her excitement was endearing, but Astrid wasn't the least bit patronizing toward her - quite the opposite, in fact. If this sort of commitment was what Astrid had to look forward to in a competitor, then the two of them were sure to deliver on their promises.

"If you're that excited over the opportunity," the blonde explained, "then it looks like you've passed the first test. I know that you're going to take things seriously - and to that, I say, have at it! If all is said and done, I won't hold you up any more. I'll let you do what you need to prepare yourself. And when the time comes..." Astrid pounded her fist into her palm, looking at Ambre with an eager smile. "...I'll be seeing you then!"

[Bearhug Goddess]

Without knowing it, the Frenchwoman had just taken a first step towards the title of champion. This title was not designated to anyone, being champion is a title that deserves to be carried by a strong, respectful, determined and mature wrestler. What's the point of being strong if you don't have your other qualities? Fortunately, Astrid was there to guide Ambre, who understood on her own that strength and determination would not be enough to achieve her goal. She still had several steps to take, it might take her months and even years, but Ambre was ready to take them to reach her goal.

The Black Pearl looked at her opponent with a big smile and eyes full of motivation and even more when the former heavyweight champion slammed her fist against her palm and looked at her smiling. It was perhaps the first time that Ambre found herself taken seriously by a woman bigger and more important than her, but she quickly regained her courage after swallowing her saliva. She swung her left fist in her opponent's face, looking at her with a mighty defiance at last and with a rather friendly smile. The two women remained silent for long seconds, looking each other in the eyes before Ambre finally spoke.

"I'll see you again in 6 months then Miss Ostberg ! I'll be ready and I'll pass all your tests!..."

Ambre then lowered her fist and the microphone, lowering her head slightly to thank the former champion for taking her time for her and publicly accepting her challenge. She then begins to leave the ring under the encouragement of some people from the public who now expected a lot from the new wrestler. Ambre gave them a light wave as she put the microphone back on the announcer's table. Her smile was still as bright as ever, she seemed even more so than usual now that the stress of that evening was gone.

Only one thing was on Ambre's mind, her training. She needed more matches, sparring and an increase in her training, especially her endurance. She had to work on her shortcomings and strengths for her last 6 months, her first big game was coming. Walking down the hall to the locker room, Ambre couldn't help but jump for joy, wrestling was truly an incredible job and sport! And to think that it was only the beginning of her career... What was going to happen in the rest of her adventures?

[CaptainL]

As soon as Ambre had answered Astrid's challenge, the arena lit up with cheers. They cheered for what was already promising to be a hotly anticipated bout, but most of all, they cheered for Ambre's determination, and her willingness to stand up to the face of danger, even when the odds seemed stacked against her, in the name of proving her worth in the ring. She was nothing if not courageous. She was going above and beyond, striving to lift herself to the level of everyone who had gone after the LAW Heavyweight Championship in the past just to be able to say she stood among their number. And in Astrid's mind, that told her Ambre already had the makings of a worthy contender in her. She had that determination. She had that willingness to push herself to the limit. She had that fearlessness. And it was Astrid herself who had brought all of that out of her - who had inspired her to such heights.

Astrid nodded her head in agreement, and the smile could only grow wider across her face. "Then it's settled," she said. With her fist still in her palm, she tensed up her muscles in a show of strength that got a few cheers in and of itself. "Come Fight the LAW...we'll put that faith of yours to the test! But if you've already shown this dedication...I don't think I'll be disappointed!"

Ambre turned and left the ring, with all the fans cheering her on as she passed. The whole way through, Astrid watched from the ring with a proud smile on her face. She knew she had made Ambre's dream come true today, and that her willingness to face the rising star had no doubt brought the Frenchwoman great joy. Even after she'd lost her championship, Astrid was proving she was still a LAW icon, one that would define the company and inspire the next generation of wrestlers. People still looked up to her - they saw her as a hero; a living legend. She wasn't going anywhere, she told herself.

At the same time, Astrid knew, in setting a challenge for Ambre, she had also set a challenge for herself. She had promised to give the girl a fight worthy of a champion. And now, it was on her to put forward her best efforts; to live up to those expectations Ambre, and everyone else, had of her. She sucked in a breath, her body stiffening as she held herself straighter. Ambre had the next six months to train and to lift herself to the peak of what she could achieve. Astrid was going to have to do the same.

Continued here