Hazel

After landing, we had just enough time to drop our things off at the hotel, get in a quick workout, then we were supposed to go to the event center for a meeting before the show went live. From what they'd heard, the stadium was sold out which was a huge deal in itself. We'd all gotten call sheets emailed to us last week and we were urged to review them to make sure we were on time for our matches. Because of the tight schedule with us flying international, we had to stick to the schedule as close as possible.

Stephanie pulled me aside after the meeting to make sure I understood that today I was supposed to get an easy match with Sasha Banks, the crowd would cheer, and that would be it. I was also told to dye my hair as soon as I got back to the states and to stay away from Seth. The last thing they wanted was their Women's champion to be associated with traitors.

Yeah, that last part wasn't going to happen.

Nonetheless, I had my makeup done and hair fixed up before putting on my ring attire of a tiny leather bra top, dark denim cut off shorts, and fishnet stockings paired with knee high boots. The longer I'd been with this company, the less clothes they seemed to put me in. One thing I wasn't going to allow were those ridiculous fake leather, plastic, outfits they seemed to put the other Divas in. It was so tacky and gimmicky.

"Hey." Sasha came into the locker room, quickly setting her bag down.

"Are you just getting in? We're on in 10." I said as I finished wrapping my hands..

She shook her head, quickly rummaging through her carry on to get changed. "Yeah, I know. The stupid flight got delayed. I'm lucky I even made it. They should've done a better job with these stupid bookings."

"Alright, alright, hurry. Need me to help you tape?"

"Yes, please." She nodded, taking off her sweatpants and t-shirt to throw on her attire.

While she worked on tying her boots, I made sure to tape and secure parts of her top and waistband of her pants so they wouldn't budge during the match. With these tiny ass outfits, it was basically second nature to have tape on your skin at all times.

I helped her wrap her hands and the two of us walked towards the entrance, waiting for our cue.

"Good luck out there." I fist bumped her.

"May the best woman win." She smiled, walking out to her entrance music.

I waited for my intro before walking out to the sold out arena. In a room that big, the lights, the faces, the noise, all blurred into one. I waved at the crowd, eliciting an amazing response as I climbed into the ring waiting for the bell.

The match was over fairly quickly after I hit Sasha with a four way combo consisting of an elbow to the face, punch to the throat, and a kick to the stomach to make her topple over. Using the ropes, I bounced myself off of them to grab her by the neck and slam her head into the ground. She got up off the count, struggling to get up onto her feet before I jumped off the ropes again, getting her with a hurricana and taking her out for the count of three.

The fans cheered and my hand was raised in victory but it felt cheap. Stephanie knew her flight was coming in late and she wouldn't have time to prepare. She knew it would be a throwaway match. And it went exactly as she had planned, getting the exact response from the crowd that she wanted.

As soon as the ref handed me my title, I jumped down off the ring. This wasn't entertainment, this was a lie. A well thought out, calculated lie.

...

A few matches later, it was finally the Shield's turn. This time, it would only be Seth and Dean fighting against Ryback and Curtis Axel. Rybaxel came out first only it wasn't just the two of them. I could feel my blood boil when Charlotte accompanied them into the ring. I wasn't sure what her plan was, but it wasn't going to be anything good.

The guys came out to their intro from the crowd as usual. All three looking mean and laser focused. Seth and Dean climbed into the ring while Roman and Charlotte stepped out to the side. Immediately she started acting like a valet and hyping the crowd to cheer for Curtis who was in the ring first facing Dean.

The two went toe to toe but Charlotte and Ryback where being shady every time the ref was distracted. Curtis was a monster in the ring. As quick as Dean was, Curtis managed to get him into a headlock in an attempt to make him submit. He was able to make it to the ropes before tagging in Seth.

Like a ferocious little spider monkey, Seth was getting Curtis from every angle until he managed to tag in Ryback. The match itself was nail biting until Ryback managed to get Seth into his corner. With Dean still injured on the ground and the ref checking on him, Charlotte got involved. She choked him against the turnbuckle while Ry kicked him in the stomach. Roman went around the ring to help but was blocked by Curtis.

When her lip curling into a smirk, I knew this is what her plan had been all along. Without my intro music, I ran down to the ring, spearing Charlotte into the steel steps.

Announcer: Oh no! Here comes Women's Champion Hazel gunning straight for Charlotte!

It caused the distraction Seth needed to get himself out of the corner, knocking Ryback with a kick to the face while I delivered blow after blow to Charlotte's face until I was sure she was knocked out.

"Let's go babe!" I called out to Seth hitting the mat with my hands. Seth tried to get him into a submission but the Ry was still putting up a fight.

I turned to the crowd "Sierra!" I yelled out enough for them to hear me, then pointed at them

"Hotel!" They shouted.

"India!" I yelled, clapping my hands.

"Echo!" They shouted, joining in my clap.

"Lima!" I yelled out.

"Delta!" They returned.

"Sheild!" We yelled in unision and I waved my hands up for them to yell louder chanting Shield as Seth gained the momentum he needed to go on offense. "Come on baby!"

"Ahhhhhh!" Charlotte screamed as she charged towards me but I ducked, grabbing her hair to throw her into the ring. Climbing in myself, I looked back at Seth in the ring who had Ryback in a similar position on his hands and knees.

Announcer: Uh - oh! The two exchanging looks - what's going to happen?!

He have me a nod and simultaneously we curb stomped our opponents.

Announcer 2: Ohhhh! Double curb-stomp!

Seth got Ryback for the count and I raised his hand in victory as they rolled out of the ring and we were joined by Roman and Dean. The three men joined fists while Charlotte walked away with Curtis and Ryback, cussing us out.

"Don't you ever touch what's mine!" I screamed out holding myself out on the ropes. She held the back of her head, yelling something I could no longer hear. "Try some shit like that again and I'll end you! I will fucking end you!"

Seth lifted me into his arms for a hug, holding me tighter now than ever before. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he spun me around, our lips crashing together in a passionate kiss.

Announcer 1: Ladies and gentleman, you've seen it here first, live on Monday Night Raw in the city of Love! Seth Rollins and Hazel have confirmed that they are indeed a couple and they are a force to be reckoned with!

Announcer 2: John, we've seen their fighting styles. We've seen their individual success. And I'm looking forward to seeing what they do! Dare I say, we might just be witnessing the beginning of one of the greatest power couples in the business!


Seth

"If we didn't give it before, your girl has our seal of approval, brother." Dean patted my back as we waited for Hazel to come out from Stephanie's office. She'd been called in after we got done with the match and we hadn't seen her since.

"Seriously, bro. That Sasha Banks may be 'the boss'" Roman said, making air quotes. "But what Haz did was pretty boss."

"Yeah." I nodded, running a hand through my hair. The three of us standing by the women's locker room. "Let's just see what happens now. She was warned about this…"

"They won't fire her, that's for sure. The crowd loves her." Galina said, leaning against the wall.

I nodded, chewing on the inside of my cheek. It wasn't a firing I was worried about. They could do much much worse. Based on our 11-3 handicap match, the Authority had a sick way of dealing with people who wouldn't fall in line.

The clicking of footsteps caught my attention and I turned my head towards the direction they were coming from. Haz came into view and instantly I pushed off the wall to walk towards her. Cupping her cheeks with my hands, I lowered my head to look down into her eyes.

"What's up, what did she say?" I asked, for once seeing some fear behind those baby blues.

She took a deep breath, looking up at me, then at everyone else who had gathered around us. "This is war." She finally let out, placing a hand on the title belt thrown over her shoulder. "I've fought tooth and nail to win this championship, and I'm going to have to fight tooth and nail to retain it."

"What're they going to have you do?" Galina asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Every week from Summerslam on, my title will be on the line. It'll be one championship match after another until someone takes it from me. If there was ever a time to prove why I'm Champ. This'll be it." She sighed but the fear behind her eyes turned into determination as she looked up at us.

"Well whatever you need. Shield's got your back." Dean said, stepping forward.

She nodded with a grateful smirk but her mind was no longer on us. It was racing at all the possibilities of matches that were to come.

...

In the months following that match, the Shield and Hazel had seen the most promotional push of anyone in the company. Our faces were everywhere. We performed show after show and the crowd always went crazy. Our names were everywhere you looked. Signs, t-shirts, posters. Hazel and I were even asked to do interviews with just the two of us to give people glimpses into our relationship. This feud with the Authority had become the greatest in WWE history and we were capitalizing on everything.

At Summerslam Hazel defended her title in a Steel Cage elimination match against every women on Raw's roster. Soon after Dean became United States Champion. Then Roman and I became tag team champions. The rise to stardom wasn't one any of us were prepared for but none of us were going to let it go.

Event Interview with Seth Rollins:

Interviewer: What's the workout regime like for you guys? I imagine you guys practice in the ring a lot with your similar styles. Since you're on the road all the time, is it easier to get time together in the gym?

Me: Funny enough, Haz and I can't work out together. It was something we discovered early on in our relationship. She listens to Beyonce while in the ring and I listen to like Killswitch and what not. I need some heavy metal to get the adrenaline going.

Interviewer: Really? That's so funny. Hazel seems like the type to listen to heavy metal and punk and all that! I mean based on her entrance music and the clothes …

Me: Nah, man. She has the most diverse taste in music. I could tell you exactly what that girl's doing just by the music that she has playing.

Interviewer, laughing: Oh yeah? Like what?

Me: She's going to kill me for this, but like she'll listen to country music when she drives and like R&B when she's cooking. If she's lifting weights, she'll listen to like Metallica and then like Punk Pop when she's running. It's crazy man.

Radio Interview with Seth Rollins and Hazel:

Interviewer: So you guys are clearly very beautiful people, I think you both know that. Aside from the inevitable bumps and bruises, I imagine you take very good care of yourselves. What that like?

Hazel: I think as athletes in a sport as demanding as this, we have to take care of our bodies. We have to treat them like our temples and especially as Champs where everyone is out for your title, you have to feel and look the part.

Me: Yeah, whenever we're home or get a break from being on the road, we try to get massages. Haz will go tanning or get her hair and nails done.

Hazel: Don't you act like you don't come with me!

Interviewer: Is that so? You, Seth Rollins, a 6'2 monster of a man, go to the nail salon?
Me: Well I mean it does take a lot of work to look like this! We both tan so we don't look all pasty in the ring. And I mean a champ isn't going to clip his own toenails. It's more about pampering than anything.

Hazel: It is. It definitely is. You should've seen his toes before I came into his life. But in all seriousness, we work way to hard not to indulge.

Morning Talk Show Interview with Hazel:

Interviewer: From what we've you have been publicly dating Seth Rollins, One third of the Shield, for almost a year. It's obvious you guys have phenomenal chemistry, in and out of the ring. Would you say things are pretty serious?

Hazel, laughing: You could say we're pretty serious. I mean, I love the man. I guess that's serious.

Interviewer: I would call that serious. Are you two living together?

Hazel: Uhm, in a way. I mean we're on the road roughly 280 days a year. When we get a few days off we usually go to either my place in Chicago or his house in Davenport. It depends on who's family we're spending some time with that week.

Interviewer: Speaking of families, how does Seth get along with yours? I'm sure it would seem pretty intimidating seeing as you're related to Lita.

Hazel: It's funny actually. Seth ended up meeting my mom by himself when I was at the gym. He said she's actually more intimidating than Lita.

Interviewer: laughing: That's hilarious. I guess that's one thing that runs in the family. What about you? What's your relationship like with his family?

Hazel: Oh they're just sweethearts. I think his mom and I clicked from the moment we met. I check in with her at least once a week since Seth tends to forget. With our schedules being so busy, I think Seth and I have been really lucky to build the life and relationship we have. We have huge support systems from both of our families and friends and you need that with this lifestyle.