Helvetica's Hotseat, Ep. 3- Gemma Faraday (for HighFly)

Gemma rolled her head from side to side, as she approached the interview area. The actual interview was going to be a simple thing, recorded fast and dirty by a (former?) member of the roster, as something for the internet. Gemma didn't mind, however- things were going her way, for the first time in a long time. For once, she didn't mind talking about the direction of her AFW career to anyone who was willing to listen!

"Hey! Hey!" Lee said, from down the hallway. The amatuer interviewer was some distance down the hallway, camera in hand She held it "selfie" style, Gemma assumed to give the interview a "man on the street" feel. "Hey, fanboys and fangirls!" Helvetica said, as she caught up with her subject. She brought herself chest to shoulder with Gemma, getting the both of them well into frame. "I'm joined today by Gemma Faraday, live from backstage at Friction! Say hey, Gemma!"

"Hullo," she said, starting simply, "just wanna get this one off with a shout out to the fans, to my friends. Hey, mum!" The Brit was grinning ear to ear, waving to the camera. If her words wouldn't immediately translate, her enthusiasm would.

"Great!" Helvetica said. "So, for those that don't know- and that is totally fair- Gemma Faraday is a competitor from England, come to AFW to get out from under the shadow of her father, Mickey Faraday. Gemma's fast, fairly traditional 'high-flyer' style has earned her some fans, even if it hasn't earned her too many notches in the win column."

"Heh, yyep!" Gemma said, a bit sheepishly. The Brit's eyebrows went a bit flat, the interview already not going off great. "Well," she said, "it's a gambit, and it's been taking me some time to find my groove, right? Very different level of competition here, as opposed to mixing it up with the folks back home."

"Oh, of course," Helvetica said, "and I'm sure things are much different, with competitors here not taking things easy on you."

"What's that supposed to-"

"But! Those risks are starting to pay off, from what I'm hearing! You've been more active recently than you were in the earlier parts of your career, with more singles competition and even some action in the tag division, is that correct?"

"It is! I'm lucky to be getting more chances in the ring, lately, and-"

"And while the British Bombshells kinda, well, bombed out," Helvetica looked more than pleased, with that one, "you've actually started finding yourself in better and better positions, in your singles matches. How is that feeling, for you? To actually start getting a taste of victory, again, after getting yourself planted and pinned against so many AFW canvases?"

Gemma took a deep breath in, as she looked Helvetica over. "Holly and I are still finding our groove," she started, carefully, "and we've been up against some quite effective teams. My wins on my own, however," Gemma shook her bangs out of her face, hoping to transition the topic some more, "are from my in-ring game finally coming together. I've had some decisive wins over talented competitors, and I'm eager to see where things go from here."

Helvetica looked eager to move on, too, prepping to ask Gemma some more specific questions about where things could go. Gemma took a moment to shake off the earlier awkwardness, and move on. Things were getting better, she told herself. Honestly, if a bit of rudeness was the worst thing that happened, during this interview, then Gemma was miles ahead of the game, right?

Peggy McIntyre was pacing about backstage, more than eager to restore her credit inside the ring after a couple tough losses. She didn't have anything scheduled but she was standing by in her wrestling attire more than hoping someone backed out of something, allowing her to slip in as a last minute replacement. She was already in an uptight mood, ready and waiting to smash someone's face in!

That is precisely when she heard a voice. THAT voice. One of the two women she hated more than anyone on the planet. Gemma Faraday. Peggy rounded a corner and saw some twerp interviewing Gemma for some news segment. Peggy crossed her arms and listened in, scowling as she stared Gemma down from a distance. The little prissy bitch who was quick to poke fun at Peggys figure, just like so many skinny pretty faces back at school was there soaking up the limelight. Peggy didn't get any such treatment after she whopped Gemma's ass in a match, but Gemma wins and sure enough she gets all the fanfare!

It was just one more thing to make Peggy seethe out of jealousy as she continued to listen to the woman speak.

It seemed as though this interview was getting increasingly rude, as it went on. Still, Gemma was dedicated to pushing on. This was finally her chance to get something off her chest, to keep the ball rolling now that her career was finally showing some momentum. Some snippy American tart wasn't going to ruin that, for her.

"Sooo," Helvetica said, "carrying on. You've had a string of losses, and are just now getting a couple over on your opponents. After getting dominated for so long, Gemma, how does it feel to get things moving in a better direction, again?" The American was getting uncomfortably close, leaning her heavy chest on Gemma's shoulder and making the Brit feel even more defensive.

"It ... feels good," Gemma said, trying to keep her temper from flaring. "I mean, I'd rather like to point out, a lot of those losses were rather close contests. It's not like it was just me getting my arse kicked in, or anything ..."

"Right, of course! Except for all those times that it does, but, you know, there were lots of close ones too, I'm sure."

Gemma unclenched her jaw. "Yes, well, opponents like Valley Doll aren't exactly slouches, now! And my wins have been rather solid ones, now!"

"Does it help, facing competitors who are less experienced than you are, now? Both your recent wins, Teddy Cat Hori and Peggy MacIntyre, aren't exactly storied AFW veterans. Now that you've got some miles on you, do you feel that's the difference maker?"

"Excuse me, 'miles' on me?" Gemma stepped back a bit. "Look, you little tartlet, I've gotten good wins against people that were trying their damndest to beat me down. Hardcore matches, backstage brawls, none of these have been easy contests! I've been turning things around, here, and we're finally reaching a point where Gemma Faraday is getting her hand raised at the end! It's my time to start getting some wins!"

"Okay, right!" Helvetica said, her lips twitching into a smirk. "So, hey, what about some rematches, eh?" Gemma didn't say anything for a second, so Helvetica continued. "You know, maybe try to even the score, a little, with some of those girls who've kicked your 'arse' in, back in the day?"

Gemma looked flustered. "Look, I'll take on any comer, any time, anywhere! I have never refused a challenge. And when Peggy MacIntyre tried to jump me backstage, I showed her that I wasn't to be treated like some pretty little princess, who can get pushed around! I'm a fighter, and now that I've learned my way around this place, fighting is exactly what I'm going to do!"

"Interesting you bring that up," Helvetica said, "with Peggy MacIntyre. The two of you are one and one, aren't you? You're not interested in getting a 'rubber match' in there?"

"Peggy and I are done," Gemma said. The Brit crossed her arms beneath her chest, and squared her shoulders. "She outsmarted me that one time, so then I put her thick bum through a table, for it! I'm not here to keep reheating old beef. I put that Irish slag in her place, showed her on no uncertain terms who I am, that I'm not so weak. Now, I'm moving on. That's over, and it's time for me to start looking at the next chapter. New opponents, new things to prove. Peggy MacIntyre is behind me. Frankly, good riddance. She's a toughie, I'll give her that. But I'm on to better things!"

Peggy heard Gemma talk and grew more irritated as time went on. Then she heard the brush-off. Peggy stormed up and pointed at Gemma, shaking her fist as she stormed right up to Gemma, getting in her face! "So I'm nothin' huh? You got lucky to have beaten me! I think you are just afraid that I'll kick yer ass an' show the world what a fluke you really are!" Peggy shouted at the top of her lungs! "You say you are ready for bigger and better things when you are just running scared! I fuckin' dare ya to face me in a cage where you can't run away and you are stuck with me, with no escape!"

Peggy's face was red, her cheat heaving as she was breathing heavily. She gave Gemma a hard shove as she waited for her answer, in no mood to wait. Peggy wanted more than anything to rip into Gemma right here and now!

Helvetica was beginning to grow bored. Ideally, the pretty little British platinum-blonde would have crumbled, under all the reminders of her past failings. Really, Lord knew there were enough of them! Instead, Gemma seemed to be getting fired up, feeling her own oats, her confidence coming in.

Helvetica was trying to figure out if there was any way she could edit this interview into what she wanted. Then, things changed magnificently.

Gemma was awaiting the next snotty, condescending question. Completely oblivious to the fact that Peggy MacIntyre was right over her shoulder, hearing every word. Gemma's eyes widened in shock, as Peggy came charging in, fist raised and voice echoing through the halls. Helvetica's eyes widened in delight, as the American backed off, to make sure she could get both girls in frame.

Gemma's jaw dropped, as her face took the full brunt of Peggy's rant. The Brit was beside herself for a moment, as Peggy had her say. By the end of it, Gemma was standing there with a red-faced, heaving-bosomed, utterly riled up redhead right in her face. Gemma took Peggy's shove hard, the Irish woman giving the slender Brit a hard push that sent her back a couple of feet, before she could stop herself.

"Y-you ... You! You- rrrrghh!" Gemma said, beginning with a shocked stammer before her throat was too clenched in anger to even continue. Gemma's chest strained against her top, as she took a deep breath. Looking down, the punk tried to center herself.

"Look here," she said, when she was ready, "you want me in a cage, Peggy? You want me where there's nowhere to run, no way you can blindside me? Is that what you think you want?" Gemma wiped at her face, running her hand down her lips. This wasn't at all what she had wanted, but there was no denying it, now. And just seeing the Irish woman was bringing back far, far more of the old animosity than Gemma ever would have anticipated. "Well guess what, Kerrygold ... You've got it!"

Suddenly, Gemma's hand shot out, slapping Peggy hard across the face! "I was gonna leave things be, leave it in the past. But apparently, if I'm going to leave your thick hide in my past ... I'll have to bury you there, first!"

Peggy's face was slapped and slapped hard as she stumbled back a few steps, the hallway echoing with the resounding sound! She shook her head to recover, stepping back up into Gemma's face! "I remember the first time ya saw me. The first words outta yer little punk mouth were dismissive put downs. All I ever done was fight back and put ya in yer place. You were just pissed that full bodied Peggy got the best of your little ass, like the whiney princesses back in school who always got their way." Peggy hissed in Gemma's ear, quiet enough so only Gemma could hear what she said.

Peggy then cocked her fist back, stepping into a hard right aimed straight for the side of Gemma's face!

Helvetica backed off, adjusting her handheld camera and making sure that she was getting the entirety of this. Peggy coming in had completely saved this interview. Now, she just had to lean back, and catch the inevitable brutality!

"H-how dare you?" Gemma gasped, in the face of Peggy's accusations. Her eyes went wide, as she hissed right back to Peggy. "I ... You- I was pissed that you raked my eyes to steal a win, you slag! And now you're calling me- rgh! Ohhh! I-I-" Gemma's reply was choked off by her own anger, slender throat tightening as she tried to formulate a response. Between Peggy and Helvetica's seperate harangues, the Brit was beside herself! Red with anger, Gemma stomped the floor, trying to choke back even more incomprensible British insults.

Helvetica was starting to get cross, unsure if her cheap camera was picking up whatever these two were hissing at one another. She needn't have worried, however, as things inevitably escalated as they always did, between these two: Gemma's head rocked back, as Peggy's punch connected square with her face! Rocking side to side for a second, completely blindsided, Gemma shook her head. The Brit spread her legs wide to steady herself, before shooting a glare at Peggy. "Should've known you'd have to milk this, Kerrygold!" Still, Gemma didn't look as certain as before. Whatever Peggy had whispered, Helvetica could see it had rattled Gemma. Regardless, the British girl returned fire, lunging forward with an elbow strike aimed right for Peggy's face. The brawl was on!

Peggy's head jerked back as she staggered slumping against a wall as Gemma's elbow caught her right in the jaw! Peggy was in a daze and she was downright pissed off at looking bad on camera after getting rocked by Gemma. Peggy couldn't let that slide at all. She had to put Gemma in her place yet again! Her pride, her fears about her own image, and her memories of the pretty girls like Gemma making Peggy feel like she would never belong...everything was fueling her anger towards Gemma right now.

She let out a howl as she ran forward swinging her foot up to deliver a hard big boot int the upper chest of Gemma! "I will show ya who the real up and comer is ya twig!" Peggy shouted in a rage as she rushed in, intent on planting Gemma to the floor!

"Eh?" Gemma said, as she watched Peggy's head reel back from the impact of her elbow, "Did you like that, slagamuffin? That what you want some more of, luv?" Gemma turned toward Helvetica, giving a look of incredulity to the camera, like she couldn't believe the nerve of the Irish woman. Really, she couldn't. Gemma had sincerely believed- and hoped- that things with her and Peggy were settled.

Unfortunately, Gemma's moment of mugging for the camera cost her. By the time she turned back to her nemesis, Peggy had recovered and was coming back hard, driving a big boot right into the Brit's chest! "HHHOOOF" Gemma moaned, as Peggy's hard boot sank hard into Gemma's chest. The Brit hit the wall, wrapping her arms over her aching chest as she tried to suck back in some of the air that Peggy had just knocked out of her. "D-damn you ..." Gemma hissed, as she tried to stay upright on wobbly legs. It would be a moment, before the Brit could recover enough to return the blow. Biting her lip, Gemma knew Peggy wasn't likely to give her that chance.

Peggy shrieked like a banshee as she ran forward grabbing two handfuls of Gemma's lovely hair and smashing her head off the wall a couple times! "You want to talk lucky wins, how about when you just barely moved yourself away from my splash in our match?!" Peggy howled as she threw Gemma to the floor, head-first! Peggy mounted her and immediately grabbed her hair again and bounced her head off the floor over and over!

"If ya didn't catch that break we'd be talkin' about how I beat yer sorry ass twice!" Peggy screamed as she tried to dish out as much punishment as possible to the young British woman!