Nikolette Tessla Vs. Taylor Parker: #1 Contender Match

Taylor's stomach did a backflip when the woman in black took that one step toward her, knowing what it meant. She knew she was in no shape at all to fight, and-

The music. Her heart sank. Whenever she was in no shape to fight, she could count on Kelly Conway just showing up. What a swell gal. What a champion.

"Eugh..." Taylor ran a hand through her hair, and glanced up the ramp at Kelly. She gave the woman with the pipe a skeptical look while she circled around her until she stood by Nikolette.

"Friend, huh?" She said. "I guess your standards went out with your dignity when you put on that stupid mask."

The masked woman grinned as she heard Kelly's theme music play throughout the arena.  The adrenaline of the near brawl with Taylor barely subsided even as the Friction World Champion diverted the tension away.  Her hand stayed gripped tightly to the pipe even as Taylor as she circled around to Nikolette.  "Sorry, I kinda loss that back when some hoebag kissed me at a club once."  It wasn't much of a comeback, and she knew big mouthed Taylor would have a better one in return, but she didn't want to give her the chance.  "But what can I do?"

She offered her hands out as she stepped backwards and towards the edge of the ring.  "It's a tough world.  A girl needs friends.  What better way to bond than to find a common goal?"  With a giddy laugh, she leaned back against the ropes and lobbed the steel pipe in Taylor's general direction.  "Besides...It's no hard feelings.  We're all family now after all.  Isn't that right Auntie Taylor?"

Taylor raised an eyebrow at the masked woman. She absolutely was prepared to verbally skewer her, but the moment passed too quickly. "Hoebag, huh?"

She opened her mouth to respond at greater length, but the unwelcome reminder of their family situation stopped her dead. For a moment she couldn't breathe. It was as if there was a ton of bricks piled on her chest.

There was no use in pretending that the masked woman could be anyone but Talia Wilson. Talia, whose sister Aurora had had a child with Mamouru, Taylor's brother in law. And even if Aurora and Talia never married, the fact remained that Taylor and Talia shared a niece. The thought turned Taylor's stomach.

She was left standing there, too exhausted to stand up straight, holding her dislocated shoulder, with her mouth shut tight. She stared at the ugly white mask, and glanced up at Kelly. She nudged Nikolette with her foot.

"Hey."

Nikolette was only just rousing as she heard Taylor's voice. She hadn't been entirely unconscious. She had heard a fuzzy version of Kelly's theme and her loud mouth but pushed up to her hands and knees.

She looked up at Taylor and turned to look at Kelly and the Kitsuneko. She scrambled to her feet, going shoulder to shoulder with Taylor. She was still woozy, but adrenaline was kicking back in.

"Sorry.." She muttered. "Wasn't plannin on gettin choked with a pipe." She smiled at Taylor then glared at the other two.

The masked woman grabbed the top rope with both hands and kicked up. She flipped over the rope, landing on the apron first and then dropping to the mat below. She walked backwards up the ramp, making sure to return the glare the Serb and Blonde were likely giving her. It wasn't like it was a surprise to anyone, but the woman couldn't help but grin at the thought of her mask. So she grabbed it and slowly lifted it up so her face was revealed to the crowd.

And it was indeed Dark Angel. Sporting the same brown hair that she did back when she was an anonymous asshole. The only noticeable additions were the red contacts in her eyes. She pulled the mask entirely off her head and grinned towards the two in the ring as she reached the top of the ramp. Then she turned halfway so she was beside Kelly. She offered her a quick grin and eyebrow raise that asked 'What do you think?' before turning back towards the ring.

"MIIIGHT WANNA GET THAT CHECKED OUT, TESSLAAAA!!!" Kelly mocked through a loud cackle as she looked at the wounded Nikolette before she grinned down at Taylor as her masked friend joined her. She bowed her head slightly to the masked woman and slug her arm around her shoulder.

"I'd like to thank EVVERRYONE who came out here tonight! I'm very happy to announce that your AFW Friction World Champion is and forever shall be your American Hero, Kelly Conway!" Kelly said into the mic as she patted her title, grinning at her ally.

"You did so well..." She mutterd happily, rubbing her the girl's shoulder as she looked at Nikolette, who could barely stand and a battered and bruised Taylor. It was beautiful and she couldn't resist sharing.

"Hows it feel for both of you to fight so hard... And it all be for nothing in the end? Spoiler! It feels great to me! HAHA! LOSERS! BOTH OF YOU!" She declared while pointing mockingly at the two.

Taylor was totally, utterly, painfully unamused. She endured more of Conway's obnoxiousness with a scowl as she stared up at the two hateful girls.

She circled her hand in the air, in a "let's wrap this up" gesture, and then put her hand back on her injured shoulder.

"C'mon, man," she muttered under her breath. "Just let me go to the hospital. Fuck."

Kelly saw Taylor's attitude and fumed instantly. She could see the scowl on the woman's face but her dismissive attitude was infuriating The crowd was still in awe in the reveal of Talia being the woman behind the mask and returning to Friction, but right now all Kelly could see was Taylor.

"Cocky little punk!" She barked angrily. "I am your Champion! Friction IS MY SHOW! And you will not cast aside!" She hollered before remembering she had Talia beside her.  

"Learn to make time for another life that you had a hand in fucking up! Whether you're butting your nose into affairs and getting people fired like Cheerleader Lilly! Sending top talent down a spiral like Angel! And your marriage is nothing but a product of you being the hobag that you are!" She spat as the crowd booed fiercely towards the champion.

"Tessla! I suggest you quit while you can still breathe! You don't have what it takes to hang with main eventers! Then again... Neither of you do. " Added the blonde before dropping the mic and then grabbing Talia's wrist to raise their hands up as Kelly began backing away towards the curtain.

The brown-haired Talia couldn't help but laugh in apparent victory as Kelly put her arm around her shoulder like they had known each other for awhile.  She looked down at the ring and at the injured, beaten two and grinned as the champion spoke.  Even though not a day earlier Talia had silently laughed at the thought of being friends with Kelly.  In reality, she had done everything she did out of her own self-motivated revenge.

But now it felt different as Kelly trash talked the two.  Very different.  She had gone on all of her crusades in the AFW entirely alone.  This was the first time she was walking off stage with someone else while not on a stretcher.

It was good having friends.