The Enigma Meets his Match

Jeff Hardy leaned against the cold brick wall, the high already consuming him. He loved it, the feeling of weightlessness and peace that came from the marijuana.

The meeting with the Board of Directors was not good. They told Jeff that he had one last chance to kick his drug problem, or he was done. No more wrestling, ever.

AJ Ridley, also known as AJ Hellion, walked through the hallways, looking for the Women's Locker Room. She had finally made it to the WWE. Her dream was coming true. Smiling, AJ thought that maybe this was heaven, her new home. She wasn't going back to Ohio again.

Jeff closed his eyes, tasting the familiar excitement and adrenaline in the air. Adrenaline was his other drug of choice, the legal one. Breathing in deeply, Jeff smiled. He lived for this feeling. The fans were his motivation to do better each time, to make every match more thrilling and daring than the last.

Grinning wildly, Raw's newest addition to the Superstar roster skipped lightly down the ramp as 3oh!3's Punk Bitch blasted through the arena. She slapped every hand, bursting with energy and life. Climbing through the ropes, she ascended the turnbuckle and flashed a familiar pair of guns to the audience.

"Hello, North Carolina! Welcome to the longest running show in existence, Monday Night Raw!"

Receiving a scream, AJ felt exhilarated.

"My name is AJ Hellion, and I'm probably not familiar to any of you, am I right?"

"Right!", the audience echoed.

"Well that's gonna change. This past Friday, I received a call from the manager of Talent Relations, Jim Ross. Apparently, somebody thinks I have what it takes to make it here. See, when I was eighteen, my friend Lexi videotaped me and my other friend Khameron wrestling at the gym, and sent it in. Mr. Ross gave it to Mr. McMahon, and he approved. So as of right now, I am Raw's newest Superstar!"

Sitting backstage, Jeff watched the new Superstar's premiere. He smirked as she played up the crowd's energy, then blinked as he saw her flash the signature Hardy guns, her brown and red hair falling around her brown eyes.

"What the hell?"

Enthralled with her style, Jeff continued to watch as AJ Hellion talked about how she made it. He could feel her bubbly energy even with the distance.

"I'm really glad to be here," AJ chirped. "I'm ready to show you what I can do, and to make every match as interesting as I can. Sort of like a female Jeff Hardy."

Another Me by Peroxwhy?gen blared as the Charismatic Enigma himself walked down the ramp, microphone in hand. He entered the ring, black and green hair framing his green eyes, and flashed the Hardy guns as AJ had.

"So you're Raw's newest Superstar. Can't say I'm not impressed," he drawled.

"Yeah, I am. And I intend to revolutionize this company's roster every time I fight."

Jeff smirked. She talked a big game, he thought.

"I'm sure you do. But that's not why I'm out here. I'm out here because of your deliberate mockery of the style that the Hardy Boys brought to this company. Flashing our guns and calling yourself a female version of me doesn't make you hardcore, AJ Hellion. You have to be able to fight hardcore, act hardcore, and backup what you say."

AJ raised an eyebrow as the younger Hardy went on. She could act hardcore. That's how she fought, by using her mind and body as a weapon against her opponents. Her parents looked down on her style, but she wasn't going to change.

"You don't think I can be hardcore, Hardy? Just because I don't have different colors in my hair or black nails? You don't know anything about me, so don't assume you can tell me how hardcore I am."

"Prove you're hardcore, and I'll take everything back. If you can beat me in a match, then I'll know you're hardcore."

Jeff smirked as the girl narrowed her eyes.

"Ring the damn bell."

The Enigma wasted no time, putting the girl in a submission hold for a two-count before she countered with a twist and a kick to his jaw.

He stumbled, catching himself on the rope and staring at AJ. How on earth did she know that?

Shaking his head, he ran at her, grabbing her waist and throwing her to the mat. Jeff hooked her leg, then slapped the mat as she kicked out and stood.

AJ thrust her fist into the man's chest, knocking him to the ground as she bounced off the ropes once, twice. Waiting for him to catch his breath, she gazed at him with a smirk in her eyes.

Jeff stood, anger clouding his face. He couldn't keep her down. What would he do?

He kicked at the girl viciously, catching her in the stomach and watching as she hit the floor again.

AJ lay there, panting. She needed to win this.

Jeff went for a Swanton, his body crashing to the mat brutally. The sneaky little girl had rolled to avoid the blow and began to climb to the top of the turnbuckle.

She formed devil horns and threw her arms up once, twice, before leaping off and hitting the fallen man with a devastating Swanton, which allowed her to go for a rollup pin. She called this move Rebel's Riot.

Jeff didn't move, even as he was rolled up and the match ended. He lost to the new Diva, the one who made a joke of his lifestyle.

He was barely aware of her face peering down into his own as she held the microphone.

"My name is AJ Hellion. Remember it, because that's who you're dealing with. Now say what you need to and don't bother me again."

Jeff leaned up slightly to reach the microphone.

"I Jeff Hardy, rockstar daredevil, admit here and now that you, AJ Hellion, are as hardcore as me."

Later that night, AJ was sitting on the tour bus she was sharing with Lita, Rey Mysterio, Victoria, Randy Orton, and John Cena. Her eyes were filled with tears as she read the message again:

You can't run from me, AJ. I'll find you and bring you back.

Just because you run doesn't make you safe.

Logan had sent that. She thought that he was in prison still, locked away forever for what he did to her.

Apparently not.

"Hey, AJ! You ready to hit the road?"

AJ looked up at Victoria, her expression vacant.

"Yeah, Victoria. I guess we should get going."

Victoria's smile dropped.

"What's wrong, AJ? You look like your parents just died."

No, AJ thought bitterly. I'm just running from an abusive ex-boyfriend.

"I'm okay, Victoria. Just tired," she lied smoothly.

Jeff lay on the floor of his tour bus, the match looping continuously through his head. How was it possible that a girl had beaten him? The new girl, to be specific.

It felt like a movie to him. The underdog beats the champion, end of story. But the fact was that he had been beaten by the new girl who had at least two years of experience, if that much. Jeff admitted that her move had been quite impressive. The Rebel's Riot was a perfect combination move.

Staring out the window, AJ fingered the most recent cut she had made. After the text, she needed to just let out her anger, and she couldn't see another alternative. So she cut.

"Yo, AJ, you with us chica?", Rey yelled.

Startled, the raven and flame-haired girl jumped, causing the rest of the stars to laugh.

"Yeah, guys. I'm still here," she smirked, while absently pulling the sleeve of her jacket down over the cut.

Jeff blinked away the smoke, his buzz already beginning to form. He knew this was wrong, but the buzz was what he lived for.

For once, Jeff was glad that he wasn't being mobbed by fans. If they had seen him like this, they would hate him. And leave him.

"Little brother, what are you doing?"

Matt Hardy stood in front of his younger sibling, upset.

"They'd leave me, Matty. All of 'em."

"They'd leave you because of this, Jeffro. You gotta stop."

"I can't."

Matt sighed. Who was his brother turning into?

He walked away, dialing Victoria.

Victoria answered the phone, tired.

"Hello?"

"It's Matt. Jeff's in a bad spot, Vic. I need that new girl to straighten him out."

"They hate each other."

"She's the only one he'll listen to."

Victoria sighed.

"I'll send her over."

"I owe you, Darkness Queen."

"AJ, go to the Hardy bus. Matt needs to talk to you."

AJ looked up.

"Matt Hardy?"

"No, Matt Korklan. Yes, Matt Hardy."

AJ shrugged, then walked off the bus and looked for the Hardy Boyz symbol. After she found it, she walked onto the bus of her favorite tag team.

And there Matt stood, with a buzzed Jeff Hardy.

"What did you need?"

"You're pretty," Jeff said as he tried to move forward. But Matt pushed him down onto a chair.

"Sit. Stay."

AJ looked down at the younger Hardy, pity filling her heart.

"What do you want me to do?"

Matt ran his fingers through his dark hair.

"Help my brother, Newbie. He's not going to listen to anyone but you."

AJ sighed.

"How do I help him?"

"You figure out that one. Please, you're the only one he'll actually listen to. Do this for your hero?"

"Fine. But only for Jeff's job. And your sanity."

"I am forever indebted to you, newbie," Matt said with a bow. He turned and walked out, and AJ looked at Jeff again.

"What am I supposed to do?"