Silver Ace and Alicia Wells vs. Abattoir and River Styx - Friends Like These

Styx was going to catch Ace. She was going to catch her, and ram her face into the turnbuckle, then hold her still while Abattoir kicked her in the head a few times, then powerbomb her more times than she did Gallium, until the little white-haired bitch couldn't stand up straight anymore.

Just as soon as she caught her. Which, surprise, wasn’t the easiest thing.

She turned around, and instead of a prone, waiting opponent, she was greeted by a pair of boots to the face, striking Styx hard. The wild woman tumbled to her back and rolled off her shoulder, spitting curses the whole way.

Not going right. Time for a reset.

Wanting to mix it back up a little, she made her way to the corner and tried to tag Abattoir in.

After connecting with her dropkick, Ace COULD have gone back after Styx, could have tried to pull her back in the ring, hit her again, or even try and fight Abattoir again.

But she had been active all match now, and even with her endurance, she needed a break. Even now, it was taking her a good minute to try and get to her feet after connecting with her move, and she was still sore and a little shaky from Styx's hard offense, and facing Abattoir like this would be a stupid decision.

So she forced herself back up to her feet, and stumbled over to her corner, looking to tag in Alicia Wells and let her take over!

Styx went for the tag, stretched her hand out towards the corner, the referee’s eyes darted between both sides of the ring, the crowd held their breath and began to cheer, the annoucer’s sat up, the camera crew zoomed in, the entire arena seemed to be waiting with baited breath, and...and…

...and then the lights all suddenly went out. When they came back on a few seconds later, River Styx and Abattoir had mysteriously vanished.

Needless to say, but everyone in attendance was confused. Particularly the referee, who looked around for a few more seconds before she shrugged and started counting Styx and Abattoir out.

Alicia had watched the match with interest, her gaze flickering between the action and Abattoir when the nak muay wasn’t involved, wincing at least once as Ace ran squarely into at least one kick she’d seen coming. Then there’d been that tag, which had placed Ace in a very bad way but Alicia knew enough about tag matches not to just rush in.

That was the stupid option.

Even if she’d have done almost anything to get her hands on River Styx right now. But she was not going to get Ace, impromptu teamup or not, in more trouble by distracting the ref and letting Styx get at her.

Although she did bark out a harsh laugh at Styx boasted she was too smart to fight fair. Yeah. Right.

Or was it at the kick that followed, which had Alicia – a connoisseur of such things – clapping respectfully. She could do axe kicks downwards from a full split, she probably couldn’t have pulled that one off. Nice move, Ace.

And, while it would have been a lot more fun to pummel Styx herself, watching Ace do it was better than nothing.

Neither of them seemed to gain a massive edge, both of them broke off and went for the tag. Alicia stretched out her arm, eager to slap Ace’s and get her hands on either member of WAR. Across the ring, she could see Styx about to do the same and, to be honest, the big redhead didn’t give a damn if she succeeded or not.

Either she got to pummel Styx into a coma or she got a fight with Abattoir. Either way, her night was looking up at last.

So, naturally, that moment was when the lights cut out only to come back up to reveal the other side of the ring completely empty.

Alicia stared. She turned to Ace, expecting to find the other wrestler equally dumbfounded – even the crowd had fallen into an eerie silence, though now boos and jeers were starting to break out.

”What?” She really couldn’t manage any more than that.

Ace's sentiment exactly. The facepainted girl looked dumbstruck, hand still out stretched to tag in her partner, having turned when the lights went out, only to be shocked at the sudden disappearance of her opponents.

"The...The fuck?"

She asked, looking around the ringside area and the first row of fans, trying to see where the hell they went. This had to be some kind of trick. They were under the ring, preparing a sneak attack, or Jessica was going to come out, or something, no way did they actually just RUN.

"NINE!....TEN! Ring the bell!"

The referee yelled and signaled ten whole seconds later, heading over and raising Ace and Alicia's arms as they were announced as the winners via count out, officially ending any chance of this being some sneak attack to gain leverage in the match.

Still sore, Ace leaned onto the ropes, sitting on the middle one and holding the top one to keep herself up, looking over at Alicia.

"...They...just fucking RAN off like that?"

One short ten count later and Alicia’s win against Gallium was no longer her least satisfying match ever. This one took the biscuit, having built her expectations even higher only to crush them even more thoroughly.

From coming out for the fight with Abattoir she’d been longing for to standing at ringside having not even laid a hand on either member of WAR… The redhead’s hands were tight on the ropes, her knuckles white beneath her gloves.

But she stepped into the ring regardless as the bell rang, letting the ref raise her hand despite feeling like she hadn’t earnt a thing. She hadn’t even fought; Ace had done all the fighting. If River Styx had spent a month planning ways to frustrate Alicia Wells, she almost certainly couldn’t have come up with a better plan than this.

Hence the way she stalked the ring as soon as the referee was done, yanking her hand free vehemently enough to nearly send the poor girl sprawling. It wasn’t until Ace spoke up that Alicia turned back to her, eyes narrowed – not at her new partner, of course.

”Seems like it,” She confirmed with a low growl before slamming her palms down on the ropes near her with a half-snarl, half-shriek of frustration.

”Damn her!”

A deep breath followed, her fingers clenching on the ropes before Alicia let it all out. Her shoulders slumped before she squared them again. Then the British amazon moved over to where Ace was perched in the ropes.

She raised a hand, offered it to Valley’s girlfriend. This, at least, ought to make the blonde a bit happier.

”Thanks for the save. Thanks for having my back. And sorry I couldn’t help you out in the match.”

There. Done. Alicia actually felt a bit better; though none of the above meant she didn’t still have a match with Ace high on her to-do list here in AFW.

But that was for later. Right now, she owed Ace and Alicia liked to think she paid her debts.

They just ran off.

Whatever.

Fuck it.

With how the last few months had been, it was just Ace's luck that Styx would run off right when it looked like she was finally going to get the ass kicking she deserved. Ace was going to get her hands on her, if not tonight, then soon.

Turning towards her makeshift partner, Alicia, Ace let herself relax, shoulders dropping a bit. Sure, they hadn't been on the best of terms, but the woman wasn't being a bitch or making Ace's life hell, and while she hadn't been able to get in the ring, she hadn't bailed on her either. Plus, Valley liked her.

She offered Alicia a smile, reaching out as well and shaking her hand with a firm grasp.

"It's alright...don't worry about it. Besides, I owed you. You helped Gallium, whatever your reasons, and kept her from being crippled. Thank you for that. I know we didn't end on good terms before, but after saving her, I couldn't just watch you get attacked when I could help out...and besides, the two of us apparently are scary enough to make them fuck off, so that's a plus."

She leaned back against the ropes, sighing, her body still aching with the various hard hits she had taken from both members of WAR, and giving Alicia a sideways look, clearly in thought about something.


"Hey...Alicia..."

She said, standing up and wincing as she moved closer to the other fighter.

"I need to go shower off and clean up and stuff, but I have kind of...a proposition, for you. Valley and I recently shelled out for AFW to give us our own private dressing room, on the west side of the building, near the rooms where they film the promotional spots. Would you be willing to meet me there, in like, half an hour, and talk?"

The sight of Alicia Wells stood centre-ring, shaking hands with Silver Ace, was what finally managed to stir the crowd. Having been left first speechless and then furious by the sudden end to what had been a promising match-up, the arena didn’t exactly give the two women a standing ovation but it was certainly the loudest cheer Alicia at least had received during her time in AFW. Maybe it wasn’t all for her, maybe it wasn’t even mostly for her, certainly it didn’t change anything for her – she wasn’t doing this for the fans – but the big redhead couldn’t help a crooked grin at the sound. How fickle are the mob, indeed.

That said, Ace’s point about them scaring Abattoir and Styx off didn’t hurt, even if Alicia found it seriously hard to believe. She didn’t know about River Styx, but she really didn’t imagine either of them scaring Abattoir.

She just didn’t have a better suggestion for why the two of them wouldn’t have stuck around to fight. And that bothered her, even if she still acknowledged Ace’s point with a nod. Then, handshake done, the big redhead was on the verge of slipping out of the ring and heading backstage – maybe to the gym to thrash a bag or a trainer or something – when the face-painted wrestler caught her attention again.

… Well. Valley hadn’t mentioned that one.

But Alicia wasn’t the type to resent the two more experienced wrestlers’ success, nor to mouth off about it or anything.

She just eyed her for a moment, then nodded.

”I’ll be there.”

With that said, she nodded to Ace again before dropping and rolling under the ropes on her way backstage.

[bAlicia Wells and Silver Ace win via Countout[/b]