Aces of Silver, Kytes of Gold

It had been a full week since the last episode of AFW Friction, where the rather loose and wild nature of the program led to Silver Ace in not one, but two impromptu matches, easily defeating a rookie named Kaede, before finally, after months of trying, fighting River Styx in a Tables match...that she unfortunately lost when getting Black Mist in the eyes, burning and blinding the girl and letting Styx put her through a table.

Later that same night, as Ace lay in the back, getting milk poured in her eyes to counteract the mist, and getting splinters of wood taken out of her back, River Styx had come out and made an official announcement that she was done with Ace and her friends, and had no intention of facing any of them again. Since then, Ace had recovered, had a little freak out over the loss, and talked to a friend of hers about what to do.

Tonight, even though she wasn't scheduled for a match, her eyes and vision not fully, 100 percent, recovered yet from the previous weeks mist attack, the company had offered her time on the card to cut a promo and respond, no doubt both to advertise it for ratings, and because, given what happened the last week, they figured she might just go out on her own and respond anyway. Might as well get ratings out of it, right?

The fans erupted in cheers as "Animate" by Rush,    played over the arena sound system, marking the arrival of the fan favorite. Unlike the previous week, where Haley came out at least expecting a fight, and dressed for it, this time the girl came out in shorts, tennis shoes, and a t-shirt, again lacking face paint, not even dying her hair, marking her first time appearing on television with her natural blonde hair, no doubt a surprise for the fans that she had spent the last couple years winning over.

Getting in the ring, sliding under the ropes, Haley leaned against the ropes, raising an arm upwards and offering the crowd a smile, a much more constrained entrance than usual from the former Entropy Champion, who was clearly still hurting from the previous week.

Grabbing a microphone, she stayed quite for a bit, thinking over what she was going to say, before raising the microphone up to her lips and starting to speak.

"So...we all saw what River Styx had to say the other day...God, she's just a whole different level of bitch, isn't she? She attacks me and my friends, putting two of them in the hospital, has been making life hell for myself and others for months, then the times I actually get her in the ring, she first runs off like a coward, then has to try and blind me with some bogus mist bullshit to put me through a table, because she knows goddamn well she couldn't handle me without some kind of underhanded advantage...and now she says she's done with me!"

Haley frowned, gripping the microphone tighter, getting angry just talking about Styx's recent promo, the crowd booing at the sound her name and the rundown of her recent misdeeds.

"Fucking...I can't even begin to explain how frustrating this is. She refuses to get back in the ring against me, she has the crew backing her up to ensure I don't get close to her, and thanks to Taylor Parker's temper tantrum recently, Lukretia is gone, and nobody has any idea whose even running the damn show! I can't even demand an authority figure book the match, because all the decisions are being made by some committee or ghost figures or something! So, I was at a loss...and pretty frustrated..."

Haley put the mic down, looking at the mat for a moment...before looking up, a smirk on her face.

"But...you guys know by know, The Silver Ace never goes down without a fight! So, I went to visit a friend of mine, Adrian Kytes..." The crowd popped for Hardcore Champions name, Haley letting them cheer before continuing.

"She gave me some great advice. She told me that, if I wanted to get Styx back in the ring against me, I need to give her a reason, something she can't refuse...and I know just the thing. See, River Styx prides herself in being the biggest, baddest, toughest bitch in Friction, and in many ways, she almost is...but she's missing one thing that would prove that, and cement that she is everything she thinks she is...The Hardcore Title.

See, I figured it out. Styx has tried, more than once, to get that belt. She wants it. She craves it. That belt represents everything River Styx sees herself as being...and she doesn't have it. Thanks to Adrian, and others, she has been denied that belt over and over, and now, can't even challenge for it, and you know that just drives her mad!"

She stopped, taking a deep breath before continuing and taking the plunge.

"Adrian Kytes...is my friend. I like her, I look up to her, I admire her career. I'm proud of her for winning the belt, for what she's done with it, and for keeping it away from Styx...but if I want to get Styx back in the ring with me, I need something she wants...which means...I need to take that belt away from Adrian."

The crowd, following along, let out a low "OHHHH" as they realized what Haley was getting at, the blonde pointing at the hard camera, hoping Adrian was watching backstage.

"So, with that, I, Silver Ace, am officially challenging Adrian Kytes to a match, at Avalanche...for the Hardcore Title!"

With that, the crowd erupted, chanting Ace's name as the challenge was thrown down, all eagerly awaiting to see if Adrian would come out to reply!

Adrian was feeling mixed about having to turn Ace down the way she did. Even if the Hardcore Champion couldn't fight Styx again,  maybe she could have chipped in. Put her differences aside with Alicia and work together to thin the herd and take away the people surrounding River instead, stuff like that. That all changed when she looked up at the screen and saw Silver Ace in the middle of the ring with a microphone in hand, nothing too out of the ordinary until the Canadian mentioned her by name, and then... challenged her.

Struggling to throw on something respectable for ringwear (by her standards at least) and her title belt she demanded that the people "HIT MY MUSIC!" As she rushed past to get to the entrance ramp and for the first time in wrestling history: she was actually too fast and was already on the ramp with a microphone in her hand before her music even got a chance to really get started. "First of all!" She began, marching straight to the ring with fire in her eyes. "What. Second of all: The. And third of all, FUCK!?"

Oh good! Adrian heard her!

...Oh shit...she was pissed...


Haley gulped a bit, the clearly unhappy Hardcore champion storming the ring and heading straight for her. Too Haley's credit, she didn't run, or leave the ring, but stayed, letting the oncoming champ head down towards her...though she did back up a bit towards the ropes, just in case she needed an escape. Granted, the girls were friends, but Adrian didn't always have the best history as a fair player.

"Woah, Adrian, don't get hot! You said, I need to have something Styx wants, to get her back in the ring with me. The only thing she wants is that title, so therefore, if I want to fight Styx, I need that belt..."

Ace stopped, holding her hand up, trying to get Adrian to stay somewhat calm and hopefully not attack her!

Adrian was most certainly unhappy and was in no mood to be deterred by "Whoa"s like a bucking bronco. "Oh nononono! You do not get to play innocent here Ace." The former cosplayer began, getting right up in her new challenger's face as she began to rant. "You meet me backstage, all friendly like, you wanted to talk things out, I said I'd do what I could to help and THEN you march allll the way out here and start demanding a shot at MY title? What, did you start thinking how it might look good on you back there and wanted to try it for yourself? I knew you were getting to handsy with my property"

"No, look Adrian, its not like...I'm not...will you get out of my face!?"

Haley stammered, Adrian getting right up to her, screaming in her face, pressing her back against the ropes, before Haley finally shoved her friend back, getting some distance between them before raising her mic to speak again.

"Look god damn it, its not like that! I'm not trying to steal your belt, I'm not trying to screw you over! You know as well as I do, that title is the only thing Styx cares about, the only thing she wants, and its the one thing that can get her back in the ring with me...but...that's not the only reason I'm challenging you..."

She sighed, having not actually intended on having to admit what she was about to say, at least not to the public but left with little option now, it seemed, if it was the only way to get Adrian to listen.

"Listen...I hate having to admit this, especially in public...but I've been in a slump...for a long time now. I came into this company at Avalanche 2013, and in my second match, I took Taylor Parker to the limit. In my third match, I slapped Akashi Tanikashi in the face!

I was one of the hottest and most talked about talents in the league, brash, full of attitude, and with the skill to back it up! I fought the best, beat the rest, and captured the Entropy Title in my rookie year."

The longtime fans in the crowd, the ones that had been watching since those days, applauded, remembering those past matches and wins as Ace paused briefly, before going on.

"So long story short, my second Avalanche, I get cheated out of my belt in my first defense...and somehow...things have just gone downhill from there. Suddenly my belt, and my spot, was taken by girls who weren't even around when I first joined! I found myself sitting on the sidelines, watching as girls like Gwen, Julia, Alaina, Nikolette and other new girls were given promotion and spots on pay per views and title shots, meanwhile I was stuck on the sidelines, fighting whatever random girls that came my way.

I was still good in the ring of course...I could fight and I won, but it was for nothing. What should have been my third Avalanche appearance, I was left off the card entirely! You had Taylor defending a belt she had 3 rematches for, her dojo girls fighting over a belt they had both needed rematches and a handicap match to win, getting all this praise for their work, when I, the one who started making the Entropy belt worth a damn, was seen as being old news, like I already hit my peak...and that got to me...."

Ace held her hand up, trying to keep Adrian, already pissed and not known for being patient, pacified.

"My point...is that I've been a bit off for a while, and losing to Styx just made something clear to me...I think I've lost my edge. That spark, that fire that I came into this place with...I dunno if I still have it. THAT'S why I'm challenging you for that belt. If I don't have that fire, I'll never stand a chance against her.

Winning that belt is the only way I can get a match with Styx, but more than that, winning that belt, from you, is the only way I can prove to myself, and everyone else, that I'm still the Silver Ace I used to be. You, Adrian Kytes, are the toughest woman, and one of the best wrestlers, in this league. You are EXACTLY the kind of fighter I would have challenged when I first showed up.

Right now, that's not just a title belt you've got...for me, its validation, that everything I've been through and fought for over the last three years hasn't been for nothing, and that I'm not some washed up has been who peaked early. If I CAN'T beat you for that belt, then there's no way I can beat River Styx, and if I can't beat River Styx, then what the fuck am I doing here?"

After her longer than planned onsalught of exposition, Ace walked back up to Adrian, this time getting in her face.

"So, now that you understand why I'm challenging you. I'm not trying to fuck you over, or trick you, or anything, but I need this match. I need that belt. I need to know I still have what it takes, and YOUR the one I have to go through to prove that. So...what do you say? Do. You. Accept?"

Haley asked, holding her hand out for Adrian to potentially shake.

Adrian paced back and forth as Ace explained herself, every so often raising her microphone as though she was going to interrupt before dropping it as the Canadian continued her confession about how she felt her career was going right now. "Ace..." She began, a lot calmer than the explosive introduction she made earlier. "You're not the first person to think 'is this really worth it? Do I belong here?' by a long margin, and you sure as hell won't be the last." the Champion said in a re-assuring tone of voice. It hadn't been too long before that Adrian was in a similar position to Ace. Stuck in a rut while the Dojo and Kelly's crew monopolized the main event.

"But that doesn't mean you get to use me as a self-esteem springboard." Adrian said, turning to raise the Hardcore Title in Haley's face "I'm the champion for a reason. I'm not just on River's level, I'm way beyond it. The person I BEAT for this is parading around with the world title. So if the only way to prove yourself is through me? Go back and think again."

Haley stayed quiet, as Adrian had for her, as the woman made it clear just what level she was at, what position she was in, even holding her title up in front of Haley's face, trying to discourage her from continuing this path.

"You think I don't know that? You think I don't know how good you are, that you've fought and beaten some of the best this league has ever had to offer?"

She smirked, keeping eye contact with Adrian as she spoke.

"I know damn well what level your on. That's why I came to you in the first place...and that's exactly why I'm challenging you.

You see, losing to River Styx reminded me of something. I didn't sign up to AFW for that. To have my friends attacked, to be cheated and bullied around by some big bitch, to be seen as some middle of the road fighter, taking on whatever random people happened to show up? No...that's not what I signed up for. Somewhere down the line, I got complacent with that. I forgot everything I did just to get here, and why I showed up.

See, I wasn't some teen bimbo who got signed because I was willing to flash my tits and get naked in public for everyone to fap too. I dropped out of high school and left home at 16, leaving my friends and family behind, just to train to be a wrestler, I paid my way across Canada, America, Mexico, Germany, Japan, all these places, going to any wrestling school or independent league that would have me! I busted my ass as hard, if not harder, as anyone to get here!

The reason I came here was to take this place by storm, show everyone what I could do, and take my place as one of the best of the best, in the biggest fighting league in the world. The old Ace would have NEVER lost to a cheating bitch like River Styx, the old Ace would have never stood aside, and let opportunity after opportunity pass her by as she stayed in place.

That's why I need this match. That's why, one way or another, I need to fight you. I know I can beat Styx, but she won't fight me unless I have that belt.

More than that though, I need to prove that I'm still the Silver Ace I was three years ago. I need to show that I can still fight with the best this league has to offer, and come out on top, by fighting harder, fighting smarter, and being a tougher and more stubborn of a bitch than anyone else in this league.

I need to fight one of the best. Because I can do it. Because there is no point to being here if I'm not capable of being one of the best, and I AM one of the best. Because I can beat River Styx, I can beat WAR, and Adrian, with all due respect...I can beat you."

"So, once again...Do. You Accept?"

She asked, finally finishing her passionate rant, face to face with the Hardcore Champion, both Haley and the crowd waiting for her answer.

There wasn't much left to say for Adrian, only two words coming to the brunette's mind, but there was a distinct action to take. Sighing and taking a step back as Ace shoved her hand straight at the former cosplayer, she turned to the side as though the Hardcore Champion was just going to walk away, before snapping a quick super kick to the Canadian's Jaw.

"I ACCEPT!" Adrian yelled, throwing the microphone down to the canvas and storming off in as foul of a mood as she'd arrived in, leaving the crowd in shocked silence. It had been a while before anyone had seen this side of Adrian, at least towards someone who on the whole didn't have it coming.

Haley had been waiting, hoping her friend, angry as she was, would understand where she was coming from, and shake her hand to accept her match offer. When she turned to the side, Haley's eyes widened, and she stepped forward to try and stop her from leaving...

...and then she got kicked in the face.

The last thing she had expected was that Adrian would just superkick her like that, being completely unprepared for it, knocked flat for a loop onto her back, as Adrian accepted her offer and stormed off.

Groaning, Haley lay on the mat for a few minutes, before slowly getting up, hand pressed to her jaw, rubbing it and checking for any busted teeth as she rolled out of the ring and slowly made her way to the back.